Vortex
by pumpkinmoose22
Summary: Thora, daughter of Thor, is celebrating her 17th birthday when her Uncle Loki decides to crash the party. What was originally a harmless prank turns into a catastrophic disaster as a vortex transports Thora to an alternate universe where the world's heroes are the Justice League and the Avengers don't exist. Can the League help Thora return home or will she be stuck in the vortex?
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings! This is the first fanfiction I have written for comic book characters. I've always wanted a story involving the Justice League and the Avengers so this is my take on making that happen! I hope you like it. I have also written several Superman fanfictions which were written AFTER writing this one. You could say this was the fic that started the creative juices for the Superman ones. This fic does not fit into any of those, however. It is a stand alone story. **

**Disclaimers: I own nothing but my imagination. The characters - besides the ones I made up - belong to Marvel and DC.**

Chapter 1: Coming of Age

Soft melodious music rang through the halls of the Asgardian palace, entertaining the many couples that leisurely filtered around on the dance floor. Flames burned merrily in golden lamps, food in rich colors and abundance was consumed heartily by the guests, and laughter bounced just a little louder than the music off the walls.

The people of Asgard were defintely in the middle of celebrating but the subject of their celebration would rather be having a party without the pomp and circumstance. Thora, princess of Asgard, mingled amongst her guests making sure to warmly thank them for celebrating in her coming of age party. She'd been dreading the day she would turn 17 since the beginning of the year. Her grandfather, Odin, King of Asgard, made it clear that such a celebration was not up for negotiation.

Thora loved her grandfather but tonight she glared over at him angrily. Her sour attitude was due to the fact that he refused to let her friends from Earth come to the party. Her mother, Jane Foster, was the only exception to the rule. Though she deeply enjoyed her associations with the people of Asgard, Thora longed to be back on Earth. She had to lie to her friends by telling them that her parents were taking her to London to celebrate her birthday. Tori and Danica had not been thrilled about the news but had accepted it nonetheless.

Thora sighed heavily as she watched her fellow Asgardians eat, drink, and be merry. "I think I need some air," she muttered to her mother.

Jane glanced at her daughter with similar distain. It was no secret that Thora's mom felt out of place. The Asgardians were kind to her because she was Thor's wife but it was obvious under the surface they disapproved of his love choice. "Would you like some company?" Jane asked, seeing an opportunity to escape all the unknown faces.

Thora nodded. "Please."

The two women excused themselves for a moment and headed out to the balcony where little people lingered.

"This is a bit much, mom," Thora mumbled now that they were away from the throngs of people inside.

Jane put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I feel just the same as you do," she sighed, sympathetic. "Your grandfather didn't really give us a choice either."

Thora's shoulders stiffened as she tried to hold in her anger. "He didn't even listen to me when I told him I didn't want a fancy Asgardian party! I don't even know half the people in that ballroom! Mom, I want to go home. All I want to do is curl up under a blanket and watch a movie with my friends, eat cake, icecream, and cheese pizza."

"And that's exactly what we're going to do when we go home," Jane assured her, "but for now just deal with your grandfather's antics. It's the best thing to do."

Thora's shoulders slummed. "I hate being the only grandchild. You would think that he'd consider me a disappointment since I'm a girl but it's the exact opposite. He dots on me worse than he dots on Father."

Jane smiled. "That's because you remind him of his wife, Frigga."

Thora looked over at her mother and scowled. "Then maybe I should dye my hair brown."

"I don't think that would be the wisest idea my daughter," came a deep baritone voice behind them. Both women whirled around to find Thor staring at them with an exasperated smile. "I should have known you would slip passed all the guests."

Thora embraced her father warmly. "You're late, Dad," she mumbled into his shoulder.

He kissed the top of her golden locks. "I'm sorry, raindrop, I was caught up in a fight with the Hulk."

Thora smiled at her nickname. He'd called her raindrop since the day she was born due to her blue eyes.

"Is everything okay?" Jane asked coming in for her own hug and kiss.

"Of course, just a minor disagreement," Thor said with a shrug and a grin. "He can get very protective of his peanut butter and Iron Man conveniently misplaced it."

Jane rolled her eyes. "That's a crisis alright. You would think that Tony would learn."

Someone cleared their throat behind them and Thora turned to see Aunt Sif resting against a pillar. "The All Father is looking for you, Thora," she said with a warm smile. "He would like to present you with your present."

Thora sighed. "I guess my small reprieve is over."

Jane and Thor chuckled as they followed their dismayed daughter back into the hall where the guests were eagerly looking for her. Thora noticed the Warriors Three lined near the buffet table. They waved merrily at her as she crossed the threshold to where her grandfather stood at the foot of his throne. His eyes were filled with pride as she bowed before him in her bright silver and sapphire gown.

"Thora, daughter of Thor, my first grandchild, may I congratulate you on this day of coming of age," he spoke with a loud authoritative voice.

Thora curtsied with a smile. "Thank you, All Father."

Odin nodded in approval over her again before addressing the crowd. "In honor of her seventeenth year, I, Odin All Father, would like to present Thora, daughter of Thor, with a gift."

Hamdall, the Gate Keeper of Asgard, stepped forward then holding a chest similar to ones that Thora had seen in pirate films. Lined in gold, plated with ruby stones along the edges, the large chest was lowered to the ground. Odin moved his hand and opened the latch. "Thora, my dear, step forward," he commanded.

Thora swallowed as she did as asked. What was inside? She'd been expecting a necklace or maybe another ridiculously precious metal spun gown, like the one she was currently wearing. It was therefore a large surprise when she peeked into the chest and saw...

"A hammer?" she muttered with obvious disbelief. She looked to Odin who eyed her with that slightly irritating grandfatherly pride.

"Forged by the greatest of the dwarves out of the finest of uru metal, encased with magic similar to that of your father's, I present to you, Mjol," Odin stated.

There was a general gasp throughout the hall as Thora eyed the hammer with wide eyes. A weapon similar to her father's. Thora had always longed to be able to hold Mjolnir but it was never fit for her hands. Now she was staring at a weapon made only for her. She looked at her grandfather, all the anger she felt earlier evaporating in an instant. Without warning, she launched herself at him, enveloping him in an open embrace. The Asgardian King stiffened for a moment but then relaxed, hugging his granddaughter as well.

It was no secret in the kingdom that Thora had stolen the old man's heart. When first learning of her birth, Odin had been furious. A halfbreed could only bring ill-will to the family but as Thora grew, she displayed all the attributes of a true Asagradian. Though she was not invulnerable like the others, she had the fighting spirit, strength, and vitality of an Asgardian warrior. She had excelled in her trainings during the summer and could hold her own with any of the other warriors of the realm. She would probably only live half as long as an Asgardian but that was something Odin was willing to accept since the child had been blessed with more of her father's heritage than her mother's. Because of this, she was his pride and joy and she was more than qualified to have a weapon of her own.

"Hold out your hand, Thora," Odin invited.

Thora bravely did as she was told and the sleek silver hammer jumped into her grasp immediately. A large crackle of electricity leapt off of the surface but to Thora's delight it didn't hurt in the slightest. Instead it felt like the warmth of a fire. The hammer itself felt as if it was simply another part of her body. The hall erupted into thundrous applause as Thora raised her gift into the air. She found her parents first. Her father's grin was as wide as the Nile and the pride in his eyes went deeper than that of her grandfather's. Her mother was also smiling despite the worry in her eyes, a natural emotion to any mother whose daughter was holding an object of mass destruction and power.

"Similar to your father's, Mjol is a weapon that can destroy or that can build," Odin counselled as the cheering died. "It is up to you, my granddaughter, on how you choose to use it. But I trust that you acknowledge it was given in the utmost confidence that you would use it honorably and not distainfully."

Thora nodded. "I give you my word that it will only be used for good, All Father."

Odin beamed at her. "I have all faith in you, Thora."

She snuck in a hug one last time before beelining to her parents to show them the hammer up close. Thor pulled out Mjolnir and they compared the two enthusiastically while a crowd gathered around them. Mjol was slightly smaller than Mjolnir with the only difference being the designs lining the edges. While Mjolnir's was made of celtic loops, Mjol's was lined with raindrops.

"What do you think Mother?" Thora asked excitedly, holding her weapon out to Jane.

Her mother smiled. "It suits you. But I don't want that to give you clearance for joining the Avengers young lady."

Thora's smile dropped a little. "Mom, you know I'm more than qualified to be a superhero. It's all I want to do anyway."

Jane sighed. She'd half hoped that her daughter would turn out to love science just as much as she did and take over her field but she was her father's daughter through and through. The Asgardian in her had always been stronger than that of her human DNA. Though Thora loved science similarly to her mother, her passion was always fighting. If one looked up the definition for tomboy in a dictionary they would find Thora's picture. She loved sports, wrestling matches, and street fighting. Jane would have torn her hair out long ago if she hadn't had Thor there to explain to her that Thora's interests were completely natural for an Asgardian child.

"I don't think that vigilanting will be happening any time soon," Thor said. "You're still too young to join, raindrop."

Thora straightened her shoulders. "That doesn't mean I'm going to stop preparing for it."

Thor chuckled and kissed her hair. "That's my girl."

It was then that the Warriors Three and Lady Sif came forward to examine the new weapon and the rest of the evening Thora went about in a more cheerful mood. Her hand never let go of Mjol. It had literally felt as if she was fuzed with the handle. It was a comfort that Thora didn't know she'd been missing.

It was near midnight when everything went wrong.

A huge explosion blasted the doors to the great hall off their hinges and several Asgardians went flying. Dark fog leaked into the room amidst a cackle of laughter Thora recognized from her nightmares. The young man that strode into the room seemed to have the misconception that he owned the place. His thorned helmet of gold gleamed maliciously in the flames of the torches along the walls. His green cape billowed behind his finely dressed physique. Long black hair collected around the edges of his chalk white face.

"I thought I'd let myself in," he said with an evil grin.

"Loki, you are not welcome here," Thor roared, holding Mjolnir aloft like a sword.

Loki rolled his eyes. "And you think I'd merit an invitation, brother?" he spat. "I came simply because I couldn't stand the amount of cheer. You can feel it in any of the nine realms. It was so consuming that a good dose of chaos was needed to balance everything in order. You can't fault me for that."

Thor retaliated by throwing a lightning bolt. Loki deflected it with magic, chuckling all the while. "Temper, brother, temper. Perhaps you should see a counsilor."

"Get out!" Thor spat.

"Not before I give my dear niece her birthday present," Loki said, turning his snake like eyes on Thora.

Thora shivered despite trying to be brave. She had several run ins with her uncle, the last being four years ago when he'd kidnapped her and taken her to Hel. She had to wait in a fiery atmosphere amongst the dead for three days before her father could rescue her with the help of the Avengers.

Loki was creeping toward her like a snake creeping towards its victim. She swallowed distainfully. "If it's all the same to you, Uncle, I'd rather not accept your gift," she muttered.

He laughed. "Come on, it's not like I'm going to kidnap you this time," he said cheerfully.

Odin stepped forward then and Loki faltered. "I think it best if you leave, Loki."

The young man's face turned sour. "Hello, All Father," he spat. "I think I'll leave when I feel like it."

Odin thrust forth his spear but Loki turned to shadow before the blast of light could make contact. Thora felt someone grab onto her shoulders and she let out a scream. Everyone whirled around and froze in horror as Loki turned on his heel and flung Thora through the air. "Now Enchantress!" he shouted.

A women stepped out of the crowd wearing a green dress outlined in gold. Her hands enflamed in a sick green glow as she flung them in front of her. A beam of the same haunted green flashed through the air towards Thora. The spell shot passed the Asgardian princess and momentarily disappeared. Then a wrenching sound like fabric being forcibly wripped by a knife rattled Thora's eardrums. A black vortex sprung up in the middle of the air and Thora soared right through it. In a matter of seconds, the vortex swallowed her whole and then disappeared.

"Consider this my retaliation to our last encounter, brother," Loki laughed as he grabbed the Enchantress' hand.

Thor bellowed in rage and flung Mjolnir toward them but they vanished. The hammer slammed into the wall and electricity shot through the air as Thor cried out in depair. "NO! THORA! Loki, what have you done? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Jane ran to the balcony, screaming Thora's name, even though she knew deep down that her precious daughter was beyond the range of her voice. And then Jane's heart broke. Her daughter was gone.

o0o0o

The Enchantress and Loki had taken refuge in their usual hiding place: a cave in the various icy mountains of Jotunheim. It was situated in such a way that no matter what angle you looked at it, the entrance looked like solid ice. The only reason Loki had been able to discover it was because there was a portal in the back of the cave that connected with Alfheim, the home of the Light Elves. The elves had been hunting him and a tree he'd leaned against in one of their forests swallowed him, spitting him out here. Though he'd shown the Enchantress the cave, he didn't reveal the portal to her. No, that was a gem he'd rather keep to himself.

After throwing Thora through the vortex, both he and the Enchantress had teleported to Jotunheim. Thora was supposed to have been transported through the vortex to the cave but when Loki and the Enchantress arrived, it had been empty.

"And just where is she, Amora?" Loki demanded, rounding on the sorceress.

Amora scowled, folding her arms around her deep green dress. "I have no explanation. She should have come out of the vortex right here."

"Could she still be in the vortex?" Loki asked, frustrated.

"The vortex is supposed to act like a temporary resting place. One does not stay. It only tansports a person from one place to the next and only two portals can be open at a time."

"So what are you saying?" Loki asked.

"Someone must have set up a portal before I did," Amora said. "It would explain why Thora isn't here."

"Then where is she?"

"I have no idea," Amora admitted with little concern. "I don't really care either."

Loki narrowed his eyes and suddenly snapped his fingers. Frozen chains leapt down from the icy ceiling, wrapping around the Enchantress' wrists before yanking her off her feet. Dangling freely, Amora stared at Loki in loathing. "Loki, release me! What do you think you're doing?"

"Honestly, if you must know, Amora, I'm punishing you," Loki spat. "I can't believe that you couldn't even accomplish the simplest part of the plan."

"Why couldn't you just cast the spell yourself?" Amora snapped back, groaning from the pain in her wrists.

Loki folded his arms with a smug expression. "Thanks to the elves on Alfheim shooting me with a weakening charm, I'm recovering. I didn't have the strength to perform the spell at the time so I needed outside intervention. Besides, I know how much you hate Jane Foster. It wasn't too hard to convince you to help."

"I did what you asked! I set up the portals!"

"Except you didn't double check to make sure they were secure," Loki pointed out. "That's where you failed me, Enchantress. It seems that love has a way of blinding all of us."

Amora's eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Loki burst into merciless laughter. "Oh, but I believe you do. Come now, Amora, we've known each other since we were children. Do you honestly think I didn't notice?"

Amora looked away. There was no point admitting to anything. Loki knew the truth and was only trying to torment her. She should have listened to her first instincts and never accepted the job. Now she was paying for her jealous actions with taunts. Loki was blatently spitting on her heart, not even caring how many bruises he was inflicting.

"I've seen the way you look at him," Loki continued softly like a snake's hiss. "What would he do, if he knew that your intentions were to murder his only child and then his wife for the sole purpose of stealing him yourself?"

Forcing the tears away, Amora practically spit venom in her reply. "I'm not the only one who wants them both dead!"

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Do you actually believe I want to murder Jane and Thora?"

"Why else would you constantly attempt to put them in harm's way?" Amora asked, trying to hide her confusion. Surely he wanted them dead. "You hate Thor! Any way of doing him harm is a victory in your eyes. Killing off the love of his heart and his offspring would be his greatest downfall and your greatest triumph. You would eternally wound his soul. Isn't that what you want?"

Loki stared at her without emotion. There was no need to explain anything he desired. His master plans were known only to himself. But he could tell her part of the truth. "Every one of my brother's enemies has the misconception that I desire to kill his family. That is not my intention."

Amora's eyebrows drew together. "Why not?"

"For several reasons, my dear Enchantress," Loki said, as if he were speaking to a two year old. "If his family was killed, Thor would become a shell - a complete waste of space. A villain is only a villain if he has a hero trying to thwart him at every turn. And if Thor stopped playing the hero because of an eternal pity party, I wouldn't have any fun. Also, contrary to your belief, I am actually rather fond of my niece."

Amora's mouth dropped. "Are you serious? If you actually care for the girl, why do you kidnap her all the time?"

"It's the only way I can spend time with her," Loki answered matter of factly, as if kidnapping was truly the only logical way of having quality time with extended family members.

Amora shook her head in complete disbelief. "I will never understand you. What were you planning on doing if Thora had managed to end up here?"

"Move to another cave, hold her in chains like you for a day or two and then show some sympathy by bringing her hot chocolate from Midgard. It makes an excellent remedy for silence and allows one time to enjoy their company while being in frozen temperatures. After that, I would make myself visible to Thor so that he would follow me to where I'd stashed Thora away, surrender after a few rounds of fist and hammer fighting, and then escape before he could throw me in prison."

"That was your master plan?" Amora asked, dumbfounded.

"In a nutshell," Loki answered.

Anger flowed through Amora's veins. "You dragged me into this for the purpose of bonding with your niece?!"

"And now I'm going to leave you here so you get all the blame," Loki answered. "I'm going to get Thor now. Don't move. Oh, wait, you can't." Loki laughed evily as he moved to the cave's entrance. Turning to face her, he grinned wickedly. "Unrequited love hurts, doesn't it, Amora? Perhaps I won't get Thor right away. The more anxiety he has over the loss of his daughter, the greater his hatred for you. Think on that for the next few days."

The Enchantress spat at him but it didn't have much of an effect. Loki had already turned and exited the cave with a swish of his emerald green cape.

**o0o0o**

**Just FYI, because this is the first fanfiction I have written, I've decided to leave the imperfections it has so if you come across any misspelled words or punctuation errors, please forgive me; I hate being selfish but I don't want to go back and change my first. Thanks for your patience! Please review!**


	2. Distractions

02: Distracted

A soft sizzling crackled through the air as a young sorceress moved amongst her possessions. The warehouse she'd chosen as a temporary hideout was perfect for her needs. It was situated right on the outskirts of Metropolis. She was positive that Superman would never think to look for her so close to home. Though Zatanna was now a member of the Justice League and was in most aspects, a heroine, she had a reputation to uphold. When she first met Superman, she had an instant crush on him. But when she discovered he was already in love with someone else, she decided that if she couldn't have him, at least she could mess with him. And so it became a tradition to cast some kind of spell on him -or someone he knew- one day out of the year. Her anniversary for mischief was next weekend and this year was going to be legendary. The League was going to be talking about it for years, she was sure.

Smiling to herself, she pulled back the bracelet she'd been working on. A brilliant red stone shimmered as flames danced in their torches. "Perfect," she muttered, setting the jewelry aside. "And now, for the best part!" Closing her eyes and mumbling a spell, Zatanna thrust her hands towards the window hovering above the warehouse's entrance. A noise like cloth being torn apart rent the air and the window shimmered like rippled water. Sighing, the magician lowered her arms. "He'll never know what hit him," she said with glee. "Now all I have to do is lure Luthor here and get him to toss Superman through that window. This is going to be unforgettable!"

All of a sudden her cell phone rang. Glancing at the screen, she cursed. Waving her hand, all the objects disappeared except for the bracelet which she picked up and put in her pocket. "The League always calls at a bad time," she muttered. Glancing at the shimmering window one last time, Zatanna grinned and spun on her heel, disappearing in a flash of purple smoke.

o0o0o

Cold pierced Thora's skin. Colors similar to the Bifrost flashed past her eyes so quickly her stomach began to churn. And then, without warning, she slammed into something solid. Pain shot through every fiber of her bones as she connected with the ground and toppled end over end, losing her grip on Mjol. As she tried to regain her footing, her head slammed against solid rock. Immediately, she blacked out and knew no more.

o0o0o

An obnoxious noise filled Jason Kent's ears. Desirous to shut it up as fast as possible, he lifted his fist and slammed down on his alarm clock, which exploded the second he made contact. Jason groaned. "Great," he muttered, turning over and covering his eyes. "That's the third one this week. Mom's gonna kill me."

Rolling out of bed, he stretched and headed into the bathroom to get ready for school. The morning scent of coffee was already in the air. Half an hour later, Jason emerged to find his mother seated at the table pouring over three newspapers at once while munching on a donut.

"Morning," Jason called, as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

His mom looked up from the papers and sighed. "You did it again, didn't you?"

Jason sighed. "How did you know?"

"You have the same guilty look as your father," she pointed out.

"And what guilty look might that be?" asked a deep voice in the kitchen doorway.

Jason grinned. "Morning, Dad. Anything exciting this early?"

"Not really," his dad revealed. "But I'm sure there's bound to be something later on. There always is."

"Clark, can you believe what the Star put as their front page?" Lois asked, tossing the paper to her husband.

Clark glanced at the headline, amused. "'Batman and Superman: More than Friends?'" He looked at his wife. "Well, Lois, the Star is known for publishing rumors more than facts."

Lois snorted. "That's obvious. Everyone knows that Superman is as straight as can be."

Clark grinned. "At least you would be the expert on that knowlegde Ms. Lane."

Lois rolled her eyes. "I just can't believe the Star is stooping so low. Just because the Planet is the paper Superman has picked doesn't give them the right to start a nasty rumor about him."

"I don't know, I think he and Batman might find it a little funny," Clark mused. "I wonder if he's seen it yet."

"I highly doubt it," Lois muttered before taking another bite out of her donut. "He's as nockturnal as an owl."

"Well, he is a bat," Jason said while munching on his own donut.

"Whatever," Lois groaned. "You'd better get going, munchkin or you're going to be late for school."

Jason eyed the clock. "Mom, I can make it to school with superspeed in two minutes."

"Jason, for the last time, you are not going to abuse your powers just to earn more leisure time! Now, march out that door!"

"Okay, I'm going, I'm going," Jason grumbled, pulling out a pair of glasses from his pocket and sliding them onto his nose.

After the door clicked close, Clark came around the counter and wrapped his arms around his wife. "I love you," he muttered nuzzling his nose into the back of her neck. Lois smiled and turned around in his arms so she could kiss him full on the mouth. Clark pulled away, licking his lips from the powdered sugar she'd coated over them. "Hmmm, sweet."

"Come on, Smallville, we don't want to be late to work," Lois said as she picked up her keys.

Clark sighed. "You know I can always fly us over there."

"If Jason has to act normal then so do you," Lois said with a gleam in her eye.

Clark smiled, reveling in how much she liked to taunt him. "Alright."

He grabbed his coat off the wrack, pulled his glasses out of his front pocket, and followed after his wife.

o0o0o

A soft cooing noise and a flap of wings brought Thora back to reality. She had been dreaming that she was flying through the air but that was impossible; nobody could fly. Thora sat up and rubbed her head. There was an incredibly tender spot to the left of the crown that throbbed painfully. The dress she had on was in shambles, torn in several places. It looked like someone had taken a giant cheesegrater and had some fun with the delicate silver fabric. Dried blood ran down her legs and her arms. Trying not to think about what the red stuff was all over her, Thora looked around. She was in some type of warehouse. Shards of glass glittered on the ground from the sunlight that came through a broken window on the opposite side of the room. For a second she thought the open space shimmered but she dismissed it as the left over glass in the corners catching the sun's rays.

Had she fallen through the window and tumbled fifty feet through a bunch of empty crates before slamming into the opposite wall? That looked like the only possible explanation from all the broken wood and glass littered across the floor. But, how had she survived? Any normal human being would have died after such an accident. And shouldn't she have bled to death from all the shards of glass and wood pieces that had scraped up her skin? Thora examined her arms and legs only to find that there weren't any open scratches. In fact, there was only dried blood. She looked at her hands and started to panic. What had happened to her? How did she get here? Where even was here?

Standing up, she stumbled slightly as she made her way over to what looked like the entrance to the warehouse. At least her body felt like it had gone through an accident. Her muscles ached with every move and her joints all but physically screamed in protest. Ignoring the pain, she opened the sliding door to the warehouse and looked around. She was on the outskirts of what appeared to be a major city. Identical warehouses like the one she'd woken up in were on either side for what appeared to be miles. There wasn't a person in sight. Swallowing hard, she tried to think but her mind came up empty. Panic started to envelope her chest. She couldn't remember anything except that her name was Thora Jane. Trying to fight against the sudden nausea churning in her stomach, Thora started to head towards the city. Where there was a city, there was people. Maybe they could give her some answers.

As she walked, there were several six foot tall crates in front of the warehouses. One said in big red letters: to Metropolis from Los Angeles. Thora looked at the large city before her. That must be Metropolis. She'd never heard of it before although she did know that Los Angeles was in California. Hopefully this was still the United States. Gaining her courage, Thora continued towards the city.

After what felt like an eternity, Thora walked down an alley that connected with a main street. And there were people! Tons of them! Relief spread through Thora as she headed towards the crowded street.

"Hey, what have we here?" an ominous voice asked behind her.

Thora whipped around. A small group of men had gathered in a half circle ten feet behind her. Their hands were loaded with knives and guns. Swallowing hard, Thora backed up as they approached her while chuckling and eyeing her appearance.

"You don't look to good, sweetheart," one of them said. "Did you get into a fight with your ex?"

"Must have been a real charmer, cutting her up like that," another said, licking his lips as he eyed the dried blood covering Thora's body.

"Leave me alone!" Thora cried.

"We're not going to hurt you."

"Yeah, we just want to add a little more red to that silver dress you're wearing."

One of them leapt at her. Thora grabbed the man's wrist and with incredible agility flung him into one of his companions. The two went down and slammed into a dumpster.

"Get her!"

Five pairs of hands grabbed onto Thora at once. She screamed. Just as a pair of hands was beginning to rip the sleeves off her dress, a fierce wind whipped through the air. Thora opened her eyes to find all five men completely knocked out. Staring around wildly, Thora saw no one else in the alley.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Thora looked to her left to see an kind gentleman rushing towards her. He had thick brown hair and soft blue eyes. His wife had stayed in the crowded street although she was eyeing Thora with similar concern. Tears were pouring from Thora's eyes and without thinking she latched onto the man and sobbed into his shoulder.

"There, there, it's alright," he soothed. "You're going to be alright. Who did this?" he asked, gesturing to the unconsious men around their feet.

Thora shook her head, her whole body trembling. "I-I don't know. I opened my eyes and found them like that."

The man took off his coat and put it around her shoulders. "They didn't do that to you, did they?" he asked fiercely, pointing to the dried blood from her arms and legs.

"No, I think that was from falling through a window," Thora shuddered.

"Let's get you to a hospital," the man said, taking her hand. "My name is Richard by the way. Richard White."

"Thora Jane," Thora replied as they walked back to where his wife stood, waiting.

"Oh my goodness, Richard, is she alright?"

"She'll be fine, Lana," Richard said. "We need to get her to a hospital."

Lana nodded. "I'll hail down a cab."

The beautiful redhead rushed to the edge of the walk and got a driver's attention. They were in the cab and heading to Metropolis General in a matter of minutes. Richard kept his arm around Thora as she continued to shake uncontrollably. He eyed Lana and managed a small smile. "Welcome to Metropolis, honey."

"You were right about one thing," Lana sighed, "it's nothing like Smallville."

o0o0o

Jason was still trying to catch his breath as he hid behind the dumpster. He'd been walking past when he looked down the alley to find a beautiful girl caked in dried blood surrounded by a bunch of thugs. He couldn't just stand there and do nothing so bursting on the superspeed, he rushed forward just as the goons were about to lay their fingers on her and knocked them out cold, using just enough strength to give them mild concussions. He heard someone approach and nearly had a heart attack when he recognized the voice of none other than Richard White, his other Dad, though he couldn't make out what he was saying. Richard had basically raised him until he was five and even though he and his mom had called off their engagement, Richard was still considered part of the family. Jason spent every other summer with him and he often haunted the Kent apartment on the weekends. It was just his luck that his other father would happen to find the girl he'd just rescued.

Peeking around the dumpster, Jason watched as Richard guided the girl to where a woman with long red hair had hailed down a cab. They got in the car and sped off. Jason was sure Richard would take her to the hospital. That was a lot of blood, even if it was dry. She needed to have someone look at her. As soon as Jason was sure the coast was clear, he headed back out into the main street and continued on his way to school. If he was lucky, he would make it just before the warning bell. He made the decision to ask Richard about the girl later as he rounded another corner and his school came in sight.

"Hey Jase! You're nearly late!"

Jason looked up to see his best friend Dick Grayson leaning against a tree with three girls fawning over him.

Jason rolled his eyes but he couldn't help grinning. "Hey, Gray."

Dick decided once he got into high school to go by the first half of his last name, claiming that it was sexier to the ladies. He lived in Gotham but when your dad is a multi billionaire nobody questions how far you're willing to travel to get to school. The black haired, green eyed teen kissed one of the brunettes lightly before heading over to Jason to give him a fist bump.

"What kept you?" Gray asked as they made their way inside.

"Rescue," Jason muttered.

Gray raised an eyebrow. "You haven't gone public, have you?"

"Of course not," Jason said testily. "You know it's too dangerous anyway. Besides, I'm not ready for it. I'm still in the developmental stages, according to my dad."

Gray nodded before turning to wink at a group of cheerleaders who giggled and blew him kisses. Jason sighed. "Do you have to be such a playboy?"

"Of course!" Gray exclaimed with pride, puffing out his chest. "It runs in the family, after all."

Jason raised his eyes heavenward. "Even if you were adopted."

"I was five," Gray defended. "I've been around Bruce longer than my real parents. And I won't ever be around them anyway because they were murdered. That's how I ended up on the streets."

"I know, I know. You've told me the story hundreds of time."

"And no matter how many times I do, I never get the sympathy card from you."

"That's because you get it from everyone else. If I gave in, your head might explode."

Gray snickered and ruffled Jason's hair. "Whatever."

Jason growled as he fixed his hair again. "Come on, we're going to be late for Trig."

They managed to get into the classroom just before the bell rang. Their teacher looked at them a little exasperated but didn't comment. Jumping into his lecture, Mr. Hughes put several calculating equations on the board and explained how to solve them before assigning his students to complete twenty questions by the end of the period. Jason's mind wandered way too much during the class to a certain blond girl he'd rescued earlier.

Technically, she had been his first actual rescue without his dad's supervision. The satisfaction purred in his soul every time he though about how he'd managed to disarm the bad guys, save the girl, and not get caught. The greatest satisfaction came from knowing that he'd done the right thing. If this was how his dad felt after every rescue, Jason really looked forward to the day when he could put on the cape. Shaking himself for the fourteenth time out of his thoughts, he tried again to complete the math problems.

He glanced over at Gray. His best friend had finished his assignment and was playing with Rachel Jackson's long black hair. The girl smiled as Gray ran her long locks up and down her arm. Occassionally she playfully swatted at Gray's hand telling him to stop. Jason tried not to roll his eyes again. Like his Uncle Bruce, Gray had developed incredible acting skills pretending to be a playboy. Underneath the facade, Jason knew that Gray was very much a romantic who one day dreamed of having a family of his own.

It was so hard to actually settle down and have a family as a superhero; Superman and Lois Lane were the only ones to truly succeed. Their love story was legendary in the Justice League. Not only was Superman the first superhero to go public, he was also the first to have a love life that every other superhero only dreamed of. Sure, they all had their flings but none of them had been able to settle down into a family setting. Saving the world demanded too much of their time. That was another reason they respected Superman so much; he somehow was able to balance saving the world, having a day time job, and a family every single day. Jason had some pretty big shoes to fill.

He often wondered if he would have a story similar to his father's. He wanted more than anything to end up with someone like his mom, willing to share her husband with the whole world, even at the most inconvenient of times. Again, for the hundredth time, his thoughts turned to that blond girl. Who was she? Did she go to Metropolis High?

_I wonder how she's doing. _

"Hey, earth to Jason! You in there?"

"W-What?" Jason said, looking around.

Gray was flinging his hand in front of his face. "Hey man, the bell rang. Did you finish?"

Jason looked down at his paper and scowled. He hadn't even answered half the questions. "Didn't even get halfway," he muttered.

Gray raised an eyebrow. "That's not like you. You feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," Jason said, "just a little distracted."

"You thinking of a girl?" Gray teased.

Not in the mood to be pestered about his love life, Jason briskly replied, "Not really." It wasn't technically a lie. Sure he'd been thinking about the blond but he had also been thinking about the overall rescue.

Gray decided to let it drop, seeing that his best friend wasn't in the mood to elaborate. Just then, Penny Rogers walked passed and Gray felt his insides do a little flip. He'd always had a thing for redheads but Penny was something else. She was petite, freckled, pale, and blue-eyed with a personality he couldn't crack no matter how much charm he flew her way. Her long curly red hair swayed back and forth the same as her white skirt.

Jason elbowed him in the ribs. "There goes the only girl with any common sense in this school." He knew full well that Gray was completely head over heels for Penny and it was probably because she was the only one to treat Gray like a person instead of a tabloid to drool over. She defied every ounce of his flattery.

"Catch you later," Gray muttered as he rushed off. "Hey, Rogers! Wait up!"

Jason chuckled. Gray acted like a complete moron around Penny. He even stuttered and stumbled on his own feet. It reminded Jason a lot of how his dad acted around the Daily Planet. Clark Kent had to put on a good show for his co-workers; even after twenty years none of them suspected bumbling Clark Kent was Superman.

Jason had figured it out the moment he'd met him, back when he was five and Richard and his mom were still together. He'd promised not to tell anyone even though he couldn't understand how nobody else knew. Even his mom didn't seem to know. After the whole fiasco with Luthor, Lois had revealed to Superman that Jason was his son. Clark Kent then decided to reveal his secret to Lois. She was floored when she found out who he really was and had been furious when he told her about the amnesia kiss. But after a few months, she forgave Clark and they decided to try seeing each other since she and Richard broke off the engagement due to Lois's feelings for Superman.

It was because of her feelings for Superman that Lois and Clark had to eventually tell Richard that he and Clark were the same person. After Lois had openly kissed Clark in the bullpen of the Daily Planet and told everyone that Clark was Jason's real father, Richard had nearly had a heart attack. He had always been a fan of Superman and couldn't believe that Lois Lane would betray the hero for her newspaper partner. He hauled Lois into his office in International and demanded an explanation. Jason had been in his office at the time and remembered the whole confrontation...

_"I can't believe that you would fool Clark into thinking he's Jason's father!" Richard had raged, thundering his fist on his desk. "We both know who his dad really is, Lois! Clark's always had a crush on you but that doesn't give you the right to lead him on like this! And what would Superman think? I never considered you the two-timing type!"_

_Lois's eyes had flared dangerously. "How dare you!"_

_Just then, the door opened and Clark came in, without an invitation. "Sorry, but may I interrupt?"_

_Jason looked at all three adults and remained perfectly still in Richard's chair. Even though he was five and couldn't understand the reason why Richard was so angry with Clark when he and Superman were the same person, he felt he should be quiet. Lois shook her head in Clark's direction but he just stared her down. _

_"Lois, in order for Richard to be part of Jason's life, he has a right to know," Clark said in a tone that was much deeper than what Richard was used to hearing._

_Lois looked at the office and noticed several people were eyeing them wearily. Even Perry had fixed his gaze in their direction. "Now is not the place," Lois said._

_Clark shook his head. "He needs to know. Besides, I'm only going to show him the truth. We'll explain the details later." He closed the blinds to Richard's office and made sure the door was locked before turning to face the International Assistant Editor. He drew himself to his full height, took off his glasses, and smiled. "Mr. White, due to obvious reasons I think it best if this little secret stays between the three of us."_

_Richard's mouth dropped open. "You have got to be kidding me," he said hoarsely. "You're..."_

_Clark nodded. "It's a long story and I'd love to tell you all about it but work isn't the place. Besides, Perry's on his way over here right now to make sure a fight hasn't broken out in your office. Let's meet tonight at your place to discuss everything. Can you keep it a secret until then?"_

_Richard shook his head to clear it. "Of course I can."_

_Everyone but Clark jumped as Perry suddenly bellowed for them to open the door while banging his fist against the dark wood. Clark chuckled. "Let's all pretend that I came in to stop you and Lois from ripping each other's heads off and that you ended the conflict so as not to scare Jason."_

_Everyone nodded and Clark opened the door. He'd managed to slump his shoulders, put his glasses back on, and stutter in less than two seconds while Perry shouted at all of them to cut the drama or leave the paper. _

Jason smiled at the memory. That had been an eventful evening. After a lot of discussion, Richard agreed to keep the secret and still be apart of their lives. It was fairly easy convincing the rest of the Planet staff that Jason was Clark's son since he was born nine months after the Niagra Falls story Lois and Clark had covered while pretending to be on a honeymoon. Everyone was fairly shocked that Kent had finally gotten the girl.

It was also surprising that Richard had stuck around. But when everyone saw that he, Clark, and Lois were the best of friends, the rumors died completely and everyone left them alone. To throw everyone off the trial indefinitely, Superman put on a show over a live television broadcast after stopping a meteor shower from taking out half the east coast to congratulate Ms. Lane on her marriage to Clark Kent. After that the superhero had become a friend to his favorite reporter instead of a love interest.

To protect his father's identity, Jason was forbidden to go public with his powers. He completely supported his parents in this decision since the last thing he wanted was his family to be torn apart. The only ones who knew the full story were the Justice League, Richard, his grandma Martha, and Gray. The fewer people the better. Even his Aunt Lucy, his mother's sister, didn't know; it was safer to keep her and her family out of the loop as much as possible.

Jason's thoughts once again turned to this morning and he suddenly shuttered. What if someone had seen him use his powers? What if the blond girl did? Dread filled him as he imagined her telling the doctors about a strange boy who'd rushed in and rescued her using superpowers. Dad would kill him.

Jason leapt out of his skin when the bell rang. Realizing the hall was empty and he was late, he fought back a curse and rushed to English class, wishing that time would pick up. The sooner he could talk to that girl, the better.


	3. Strangers

**AN: A shout out to Cajun Strong Man 2, Shorte-J, DarkLumm, Maigra917, Moonlit Night199, cabrera1234, and mythule for reviewing/following/ and or favoriting this fic plus all the other people that have taken the time to read what I've written. If I missed anyone I apologize. You guys rock!**

**If you have a good heart and a spare moment, please review! Thanks! **

3: Stangers

The nurses at Metropolis General Hospital set to work washing all the blood off Thora's arms and legs the second she was brought in. Their worried looks turned to ones of slight confusion when they didn't find any cuts or scratches. After all the blood had been wiped away, they stepped out and a doctor came in.

"Miss Jane?" he asked, eyeing her carefully.

"Yes?" Thora asked tentatively.

"My name is Dr. Hamilton," he said with a smile. His deep brown eyes appeared sincere behind his glasses and his demeanor seemed pleasant. Thora found herself instantly relaxing. "Can you tell me how you got blood all over you?"

"I-I think I fell through a window," Thora replied. "I woke up in a warehouse and I have no idea how I got there."

"Hmmm, did you hit your head?"

Thora nodded. "I think so. It hurts right here," she said, pointing to the sore spot.

"Mind if I take a look?" Dr. Hamilton asked, stepping forward. He gently pressed down on the spot indicated and Thora winced. "What happened after you woke up?" he asked, feeling around the tender area.

"I didn't recognize where I was but when I saw the city, I headed that way figuring I'd find people that might be able to tell me where I am. Outside the warehouses, I saw some of the crates shipping labels were to Metropolis from Los Angeles. The weird thing is, I've never heard of Metropolis before."

"Really? But you've heard of Los Angeles?"

"Yeah."

"Hmmm, where are you from?"

Thora strained her brain but all of a sudden her head throbbed painfully and she actually gasped. "I-I don't know," she cried. Dr. Hamilton then asked her who her parents were, how old she was, and when she was born. Thora only shook her head sadly. "I have no idea."

He nodded. "It would appear that when you hit your head, you lost your memories."

Thora stiffened. "Is there any way for me to get them back?"

"Perhaps," he said. "Usually when this kind of amnesia occurs one can gain their memories if they are surrounded by familiar things."

Thora's brow furrowed. "But what kinds of things would help?"

Dr. Hamilton shrugged. "You know your name and you still have your personality. Try to familiarize yourself with things that you like to do. Also shop around places that you are drawn to. If you have a craving for something, satisfy it. Any thing you like now, you liked before, and those things just might help clear the amnesia."

Thora nodded. "Okay."

"The couple that found you, do you know them?"

Thora shook her head.

Dr. Hamilton nodded. "I'll be back in a moment."

"Okay," she said nervously.

What was going to happen to her? She didn't have a clue where she was or even where she was from. She couldn't remember her parents so it wasn't like she could just call them up and have them come get her. She wasn't even sure if Thora Jane was her full name. It could be just a first name or a nick name. It might even be a name she thought up on her own. Fear ecalated through her veins. They couldn't keep her in the hospital. Were they going to send her to a foster home? She didn't even know how old she was and she didn't have any ID on her. Was she old enough to be on her own? Thora took some deep breaths to keep the panic from consuming her. It was best to just wait for Dr. Hamilton to return.

o0o

"Mr. White?"

Richard looked up to find a doctor coming towards him. "Yes?"

"Dr. Hamilton," he said, shaking his hand. "I was wondering if I could talk to you a little about Thora."

"Is she okay?" Lana asked, standing up.

"She's fine except for the fact that she has temporary amnesia. She doesn't know who her parents are, where she's from, or when her birthday is. I'm not even sure if she could tell us any basic information that would help to identify her."

"So what's going to happen to her?" Richard asked.

"Well, we could take a blood sample and her fingerprints and run them through the system to see if we can find a match but that's going to take some time. Since you found her, would you be willing to take care of her until we got the results?"

"I don't have a problem with it, do you honey?" Richard asked, looking at his wife.

Lana shook her head. "It's the least we can do."

Dr. Hamilton nodded. "Maybe you can take her around the city. Things that she's interested in might help to jog her memory."

"Good idea," Richard said.

"If I could just get your information," Dr. Hamilton said, pulling out a clipboard. "I'll finish up with Thora. When you're done you can just come back to her room."

Richard's cell phone suddenly began to ring. Glancing at the ID, he sighed. "My uncle's calling. Can you handle the paperwork, honey?"

"Sure," Lana said, taking the clipboard.

"Hey Uncle Perry," Richard said while Lana wandered over to a chair and began scribbling their information down.

"Richard, son, where are you?" Perry demanded. "You were supposed to get here an hour ago."

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm at the hospital."

"What? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Then what in blazes are you doing at the hospital? Are you chasing down a lead?"

Richard grinned. "No. It's kind of a long story. Look, I'll be at the office in about half an hour. I'll explain everything then."

"Alright, fine. But hurry up. I'm not going to give you any slack for being late your first day back after vacation."

Richard laughed. "I love you too, Uncle Perry. See you in a bit," he said before hanging up.

"I'm not so sure I want to meet your uncle," Lana murmured as she handed the now completed form to the receptionist behind the counter.

"Nonsense, Perry will love you!" Richard said, kissing her forehead. "Come on, let's go get Thora."

o0o

Thora was sitting on the edge of a bed still wearing her torn up dress. She was now blood free even though she still appeared to be shaken up. Lana put her arm comforting around the girl's shoulders and explained the situation. "Are you okay with spending time with us while the hospital tries to figure out where you're from?"

Thora nodded. "That's not going to be a problem for you, is it?" she asked, suddenly fearful.

"Not at all," Richard replied with a warm smile. "We've got plenty of room at home. Besides, I'm sure Lana will love spoiling you."

Lana smiled in agreement. "And I think the first thing we should do is take you shopping. We can't have you wandering around Metropolis in that dress."

"But I don't have any money," Thora said.

"Don't worry about it," Richard said. "We've got permission from the doctor to spend as much as we want on you. Besides, it's no trouble at all seeing as Lana is fithy rich."

Lana rolled her eyes. "You're as well off as I am Richard White. Richard is the Assistant Editor for the Daily Planet," she said to Thora.

"It's the best news paper in the city," Richard explained from Thora's confusion. "And Lana just retired from being a famous fashion model."

"Really?" Thora asked, eyeing Lana curiously.

Lana shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal, honestly. I mainly modeled for clothing companies in Europe. That's how Richard and I met. Since he's incharge of the International department for the Daily Planet he get's to travel around the world."

"I was covering the fashion show when I saw her," he said, his eyes suddenly shining in memory. "She walked down the runway in a stunning blue bare-back dress and cast her spell before I knew what happened. Her siren's call shadowed my eyes and by the time I woke up it was too late. I had signed my life away."

"Oh whatever," Lana retorted in good humor. "You chased after me for two months, following me to every show I did. As I recall, it was you who asked me to sign my life away when you proposed behind the stage while we were in France."

Richard grinned. "And you had no problems with saying yes."

"I think he must have cast the spell," Lana said to Thora. "He's too ugly to have anyone really marry him of their own free will."

Thora giggled as Richard wiggled his eyebrows before delicately kissing his wife's nose. Already she found them to be absolutely charming. Repeatedly she thanked them as they made their way out of the hospital to their car.

"Don't mention it," Richard smiled. "Although I'm going to have to let you two do the shopping. I have to get to work before Perry decides to replace me. Why don't you drop me off at the Planet and then you can take my car around town?"

"Are you sure?" Lana asked.

"I think it would be the best. Besides, I think you'd have an easier time picking out clothes Thora might like than I would."

Lana laughed. "You're right. I can't imagine how you've managed to dress yourself all these years."

"I think I survived just fine," Richard chuckled.

Lana rolled her eyes and turned to Thora in the back seat. "Don't let him fool you. He had no sense of fashion at all until he married me. Now I pick out everything he wears."

Thora snorted with laughter.

"And I have no problem with that either. I don't have to stand in front of my closet for ten minutes trying to come up with an outfit anymore," Richard said with satisfaction.

Ten minutes later they pulled up to the Daily Planet. Thora looked up at the skyscraper with wide eyes. A giant globe rotated at a slight axis on the top, it's golden letters glittering in the sunlight.

Richard gave his wife a quick kiss before getting out of the car. "I'll see both of you ladies around lunchtime."

"Alright," Lana said, sliding over into the driver's seat. Pulling back into the busy street she eyed Thora in the rearview mirror. "Let's go shopping!" she said with a grin.

Two hours later, Thora and Lana emerged from the Metropolis Mall with their arms full of several shopping bags. Lana had insisted on buying twelve different outfits for Thora, complete with shoes and accessories. Not to mention seven different pairs of pajamas and undergarments from Victoria Secret. She also dragged Thora into Bath and Body Works, arguing that every girl had a right to have a shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and perfume that made them feel beautiful.

Even though Thora had really enjoyed the shopping spree, she felt really bad for having Lana spend so much money on her. She'd tried not to freak out over the totals at all the registers but when the amount was consistantly over a hundred dollars, it was hard to keep a straight face. Lana repeatedly assured her that it wasn't a big deal.

"Thanks so much for all of this," Thora said for the hundredth time as they loaded all the bags into the trunk of the car.

"Like I said, it's my pleasure," Lana replied with her ever patient smile. "It feels good being able to help someone in need."

"You and Richard didn't have to do all of this for me."

"You're right, Thora, but we want to," Lana said. "Now, are you hungry?"

Thora's stomach groaned instantly at the thought of food. "Yes," she said, embarrassed.

Lana laughed. "Alright then. What sounds good to you?"

"Cheese pizza," Thora replied almost without thinking.

"Okay, cheese pizza it is. Let me text Richard and see what he wants. He said it was fine if we have lunch at his office. What do you think? Sound good?"

Thora nodded. After sending a text to Richard, Lana pulled the car around, heading down a main road towards a local pizza place. They got halfway when the road suddenly became packed with unmoving cars. Looking ahead, Lana spotted the source of the problem. "Look's like there's a fire."

Thora glanced up ahead just as something shot across the sky. "What was that?" she cried in surprise.

"Look's like Superman's off to the rescue," Lana said excitedly.

Thora's eyebrows knit together. "Superman?"

"He's a superhero," Lana explained. "He saves people all around the world but everyone knows that Metropolis is his city. It's where he made his debut after all."

"I've never heard of him," Thora muttered, staring at the small blue speck in the distance that appeared to be fighting off the flames and rescuing people from the inside. "He can fly?"

"Oh yes," Lana answered, her eyes following the superhero as he repeatedly disappeared, bringing people to safety. "That's only one of his powers."

"Really? What else can he do?" Thora asked curiously.

Lana then went into a basic description of all of Superman's powers from all the things she'd read about him in the newspapers. "Lois Lane, the star reporter of the Daily Planet, is his personal chronicler. She's the only reporter who has ever had one on one interviews with him."

"Really? Why?"

Lana shrugged. "When he first debuted, he saved Lois Lane from a helicopter accident. Ever since then, he's gone to her whenever he wants a personal interview done. People thought the two had a romantic connection but Lois Lane married one of her coworkers about ten years ago and that ended any rumors that they were seeing each other."

"Oh. That's too bad," Thora muttered. They'd gotten much closer to the accident now. Superman had extinguished the flames and had flown away shortly thereafter but traffic was still trickling along. "I wonder if that hurt his feelings."

"I'm not sure," Lana admitted. "But even though she's married, he still goes to her for all his interviews."

"I guess that means they're still friends."

"I guess so."

Thora looked out the window at the burned out building. It was several stories high. She was sure that if the flames hadn't been taken care of the building would have collapsed. They made it to the pizza place and picked up the pizza before she spoke again. Getting in the car, she said, "I didn't think it was possible for a human to fly."

Lana laughed as she drove back to the Daily Planet. "I guess I forgot to mention that one detail. Superman isn't human."

"What?!" Thora exclaimed in astonishment. "What do you mean? Is he an alien?"

Lana laughed again at her reaction. "That's exactly right. Superman is from a planet called Krypton."

"Why is he here?"

"According to the article covering his first interview, his planet was destroyed. He came to Earth and saw that people needed his help so he stayed and now he's a hero. He was the first superhero Earth has ever had."

"Wait, you mean there's more?"

"Yes," Lana chuckled. "A whole slew of them actually. They're known as the Justice League."

"The Justice League," Thora repeated. For some reason, the name didn't sound right. Thora scrunched her eyebrows but her head started to hurt so she stopped musing over the name.

"There's a whole bunch of stories about them," Lana was saying as she hunted for a parking spot near the Daily Planet. "I'm sure Richard can show you where all the articles are on the Daily Planet's website if you want to know more about them."

"Oh, yes, please," Thora said. She didn't know why but she felt like she should find out all she could about these superheroes. Dr. Hamilton said that if anything caught her interest, she should pursue after it. Maybe reading up on superheroes would help unlock a piece of her memories. She kept these thoughts to herself as she helped Lana carry the pizzas inside. They took the elevator almost to the top floor.

"I confess this is my first time coming to the paper," Lana said. "I'm a little nervous."

"We'll be nervous together," Thora said with an uneasy smile.

"I just hope Richard meets us at the top. I'd hate to try and find him in the bullpen. I hear newsrooms can be a mess."

Just then the elevator doors dinged open and an eruption of noise filled the two women's ears. The clicking of keys being nailed down by hundreds of fingers mixed in with shouts as reporters bustled back and forth sharing news. Several were yelling into their phones, others were shoving coffee mugs repeatedly to their mouths while staring at flat screen TVs displaying the news.

"Hello beautiful," came a familiar voice just to the left of the elevator. Lana and Thora relaxed at the sight of Richard. He smiled at them and spread open his arms. "Welcome to the jungle. Shall we brave the wild beasts and head over to my office?"

The two followed Richard through the bullpen, glad to have a guide. Thora was sure they never would have found him on their own. This place was complete chaos. Reporters used colorful language as they shouted into their phones trying to extract information from their sources on the various stories they had been assigned. They were just passing a door labeled Editor in Chief when it flung open.

"I don't care what you want, old man!" a woman snarled as she stormed out of the office, her dark brown hair flying behind her. "I'm not going to cover the press conference! There are far more interesting stories out there, like who's been sneaking illegal drugs into the city down by the warehouses."

An older gentleman with a head of gray hair came to the doorway and shouted after the woman. "I already told you, Lane! Kent's got the warehouse story. You're going to cover the press conference whether you like it or not!"

The woman whirled around on her heel and electricity seemed to crackled through her hair. "And what if I refuse?"

"Then you're fired," the old man said with finality.

Shaking with rage, the woman whose name was Lane closed her eyes and breathed deeply out of her nose. "Fine! I'll do the press conference. But I expect a raise, Perry! You hear me?!" Snarling, she turned around and stormed away. Everyone seemed to leap ten feet away from her as she went. She slammed her fists down on a desk where a gentleman with rounded, black framed glasses sat. "I hope you're happy, Kent," she snapped.

The man leaned away from his computer and looked up at the angry woman with a smile. "If you'd like I could try to talk the Chief into letting us do the warehouse story together, Lois."

"No way! I won't accept any sympathy from anyone, especially from you!"

He continued to smile as he replied, "Have it your way then." He turned back to his computer and resumed typing up the article she'd interrupted.

Lois Lane continued to fume down at him for several seconds before folding her arms. "Fine," she muttered, angrily. "Go see if he'll let me go with you."

Mr. Kent stood up and then, to Thora's surprise, kissed Lois full on the mouth. "I'll see what I can do."

Lois's anger seemed to melt as she rolled her eyes, smiled, and then walked over to her desk.

"What on earth just happened?" Thora asked aloud, completely confused.

Richard laughed. "Just a typical moment in the bullpen. Lois always fights with the Editor in Chief over her assignments. My uncle usually likes to give her the boring stories while Clark get's the more dangerous and exciting. It's all a ploy to get Lois to share a byline with him, seeing as Clark is her husband."

"If she'd yelled at me like that, I don't think I would have been smiling like ," Thora muttered. "He must have a lot of guts to marry her."

Richard laughed. "Yeah, only someone on the boarderline of insanity would think about living with that woman."

Lois overheard them. She smiled as she went over and gave Richard a hug. "In case you forgot, you lived with me for three years."

"Don't remind me," Richard laughed. "Lois and I were engaged for three years," he said to Thora's questioning look. "But then Clark swooped back into her life and stole her away from me."

"Who's this?" Lois asked, looking at Thora curiously.

"This is the girl I told you about earlier," Richard said.

"Oh, so you must be Thora," Lois said, shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Thora said.

"And this is Lana," Richard said,geturing to the redhead. "My wife."

There was a sudden round of gasping as everyone in the vicinity turn to look their way. Lois raised her eyebrows but smiled warmly at Lana. "It's nice to meet you," she said sincerely, taking Lana's hand. "But I think you might want to get a divorce. This man is severely unstable."

Lana laughed warmly. "Believe me, I know. I only married him to make sure he doesn't kill himself someday."

Richard rolled his eyes. "What she means to say is that I was too irresistable for her to pass up."

"In your dreams," Lois laughed lightly.

Just then Clark reappeared on the scene. "Chief gave the all clear," he said, "on the condition that you share the byline."

Lois groaned but stifled a complaint. "If I must."

Just then Clark noticed who she was talking to and froze. "Lana?"

"Clark?" the redhead asked with similar disbelief.

"You two know each other?" Richard asked looking between them.

"Are you kidding? Clark and I grew up together," Lana revealed.

"What are you doing here?" Clark asked.

"She's my wife," Richard said.

Clark's jaw dropped. "Your wife? Since when did you get married?"

Lana laughed over his expression. "We met when he was overseas covering one of my fashion shows. We got married last week."

"It was a spur of the moment kind of thing," Richard admitted. "We kind of eloped."

Lois' eyebrows rose at that. "I'm sure your parents were thrilled over that news."

Richard shrugged it off. "They're not interested in my life anyway since I failed to take over the family firm. Lana's parents were just happy she finally found someone to settle down with."

"Well, congratulations," Clark said, grinning. "Although you might want to file for a divorce, Lana. Richard's not the best company to keep."

There was a round of laughter between the four adults.

"Your wife said the same thing," Lana said. "But I think I'll keep him. He's been fairly entertaining so far."

"You've got that right," Richard grinned. "I bet nobody you've ever dated has satisfied your desires as much as I have."

"I don't know, Clark did a pretty good job when we dated."

That caused some stares. Clark shuffled back and forth uncomfortably as Richard processed this bit of information.

"Wait a second," he muttered. "You and Clark went out?"

"Back in Senior year," Lana answered with a smile. "That was the best year of high school, wasn't it Clark?"

"Yeah, it was," Clark agreed.

"What made you two split?" Richard asked, curiously.

"We realized after a while that we liked being friends more than being a couple," Lana said which was the honest truth.

"Well, I'm glad," Richard said with a grin. "Lana was meant for me anyway. Hands off, Clark. You already stole one of my girls."

Clark laughed and put an arm around Lois. "Don't worry, Richard. There's never going to be another woman in my life. Lois is the only one meant for me."

"And you better not forget it either, Smallville," Lois said, kissing his cheek.

"Oh, Clark, this is Thora, she's the girl I told you about earlier," Richard said, introducing the blond who had remained silent throughout the whole exchange.

Clark smiled. "Nice to meet you, Thora. I'm glad you're alright. Richard told us that some thugs tried to hurt you in an alley."

Thora nodded. "Yeah but I don't know what happened. One second they had their hands all over me and then there was this gust of wind and all of them were knocked out cold."

Clark seemed to stiffen for the briefest of moments but then it passed. "Well, I'm glad you're okay."

"Hey, the pizza's getting cold," Richard said. "Come on, let's eat. Lois, Clark, feel free to join us."

Richard led them into his office where they spent the next half hour devouring the pizzas and listening to stories about Lana and Clark's high school days. Thora kept looking over at Lois. She had to stifle her gasp when she first heard her name. This had to be the reporter Lana had talked about, the one who had personally interviewed Superman. Thora really wanted to ask her about the superhero but she didn't know how to bring up the subject. Since Richard seemed to have a past with her, maybe Thora could ask him to help her find a time where she could talk to Lois about Superman.

After about half an hour, Lois and Clark excused themselves to go chase down after the story on the illegal drugs. Lana was filling in Richard on her and Thora's shopping spree when the door opened and Richard's uncle came into the room. After making introductions, Perry shouted for about ten whole minutes in rage that his nephew had went behind his back and gotten married while on the job. But under the anger Thora could tell that Perry White was actually really pleased by the news. After his tyraid, he smiled. "I'm glad my nephew finally found a good woman to settle down with. Welcome to the family Lana."

"Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. White."

"Call me Perry. And it's good to meet you Thora. Feel free to come over to dinner anytime you want. Richard, make sure you bring her and your wife with you this weekend. Louelle is making a mean casserole."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Perry," Richard smiled.

"Yes well, I need to get back to my office. Don't forget, I want your article on the ax murderer from London on my desk before five or else I'll find a new assistant." And without waiting for a reply, he left, slamming the door behind him.

Lana looked at Richard who smiled widely at her. "Told you he'd love you."

Lana laughed.


	4. Addressing Fears

**AN: A HUGE thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and read my story so far. I'm sorry it's been forever since I last updated. A lot of personal things have been going on in my life but know that I haven't forgotten this story! I will continue to post as often as I can! **

4: Addressing Fears

Jason pushed his half framed glasses further up his nose as he filled out another answer to his seemingly endless Trig homework. He'd been working on the assignment for over an hour and was only halfway done. A timer started going off in the kitchen. Grumbling about how useless Triganometry was to someone who was just going to become a journalist, Jason stretched and headed into the kitchen to check on the lasagna in the oven. Though some would consider it irresponsible, Jason was usually the one who made dinner for the family. It wasn't that his parents were neglectful; Jason just enjoyed cooking. It was like an escape for him. Creating all kinds of meals, blending spices, and putting together tangy desserts were like second nature to him. His mom often joked that he got it from his dad's side of the family since she couldn't cook to save a life. Every time Lois Lane got in the kitchen, disaster was bound to happen. After she married Clark, he took over all the cooking in the house.

When Jason got old enough, he volunteered to make dinner since it was unpredictable when his mother would get back from chasing a story and unclear if his dad would be off saving the world for hours. Opening the oven, Jason closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet smell of melted cheese combined with sauce and meat. His mouth watered as he reached in with his bare hands and pulled out the lasagna; at least he could put his invulnerability to use somehow. After setting the pan on the stove to cool, he shoved the garlic bread in the oven and set the timer for five minutes.

Pouring himself a glass of water, Jason headed back into the living room and took another stab at his homework. His mom sent him a text a few minutes later saying she was on her way home. Jason then went back in to rescue the garlic bread from burning, thinking about how to solve the problem he was currently working on. A sudden gust blew through the kitchen from the sliding glass door leading out to the balcony.

"Hey Dad," Jason called as his father suddenly appeared walking out of the master bedroom in a shirt and jeans.

"Hello, son," Clark said, eyeing the stove. "Smells good."

"Thanks," Jason said, checking out the garlic bread. "I thought we'd have lasagna tonight."

"A good choice," Clark commented. "Mind if I set the table?"

"Go ahead. Mom should be home soon."

There was another small gust of wind and when Jason turned around to place dinner on the table, there was a set of three plates, forks, and cups to greet it. He looked over to his dad who was leaning against the wall, watching him. Jason raised an eyebrow. His dad never used his powers around the house for trivial things like this. Something was up.

"Did anything happen today?" Clark asked. His tone was light but Jason didn't miss the hint of accusation behind the question.

Eyeing his dad apprehensively, Jason shrugged. "Nothing really."

"Richard's back in town," Clark said, still watching his son carefully.

"Really?"

"Yes. Apparently he stumbled across a girl in an alley with a bunch of unconcious men at her feet."

"She didn't see me!" Jason said, dropping his feigned ignorance at once.

"Are you sure?" Clark asked with narrowed eyes.

Jason swallowed. "I don't think she did," he said, hesitantly looking into his father's eyes.

"Luckily for you she only felt a quick breeze."

Jason relaxed. "Oh... good."

Clark sighed. "Jason, we've talked about this."

"What was I supposed to do, Dad? Let her get raped by those thugs?" Jason demanded, his temper suddenly flaring. "Nobody was around; I checked! Besides, I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. You taught me that when someone's in trouble we're supposed to help in any way we can."

"You could have called me," Clark retorted. "What if she'd seen you? What if someone else saw you?"

"If I was afraid someone would have spotted me, I would have called. But there wasn't any witnesses so what's the big deal?" Clark opened his mouth to retort but Jason held up his hand. "Dad, you can't expect me to not try to be like you. What's the point in having super powers if I can't use them to save people?"

Clark sighed long and deep, looking at his son. His stubborness was just like his mother's. Running a hand through his hair, he muttered, "I admire your desires, son, but you need to remember that your powers are still in the developmental stages. Your strength and invulnerability may be constant but your speed isn't. We don't even know if you're going to develop any other powers. I didn't fully get all of mine until I was out of high school."

"I know, Dad, but it doesn't change the fact that I have a natural complex for saving people," Jason replied hotly.

Clark suddenly looked distant. Jason knew that look; his dad was hearing something normal people couldn't. "Your mother just stepped off the elevator," he revealed.

Jason groaned. "You're not going to tell her, are you?"

"You know the rules," Clark said. "We don't keep secrets in this family. It's a bad omen."

Jason took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Fine, but can you do it after I've gone to bed? I don't want to deal with the same lecture all over again."

"Deal," Clark said with a small smile. "Just promise me that you won't do this again."

"You know I can only promise that if I have time to call you," Jason argued.

"Jason."

"Alright, fine. I'll try."

Just then the door clicked open. Lois was obviously on the phone since she was yelling at the top of her lungs. "Rummaging through files never seemed to be a problem for you before," she growled into the reciever. "If you can't do this little job maybe I'll convienently leave your name lying around the police department." A pause and then, "That's what I thought. Just send me an email when you get the info. Thanks, Greg, you know you're the best."

Clark rolled his eyes as Lois came around the corner, slapping her cellphone down on the counter by her purse. "Don't you think it's a little sketchy dealing with a smuggler?"

Lois grinned. "You've got your sorces and I've got mine, Clark. Besides, Greg may be a smuggler but he's always willing to spill a few secrets if I slip him a couple twenties and a gift card to Wendy's."

"She's going to die one of these days with all these cut throats at her desposal," Clark muttered as Lois ignored him, walking over to give Jason a hug.

"How was school, honey?" she asked.

"Fine," Jason said. "Did I ever tell you how much I hate Triganomitry? It's the most useless subject I've ever taken in my life."

"The better your education, the better your chances are at getting into Metropolis University," Lois said, filling a pitcher full of water and setting it on the table.

"I know that but honestly can either of you name a time where you used Trig as a journalist?" Jason complained as he sat down.

Clark chuckled. "Although I haven't used it at the Planet, it's come in handy for my other job."

Jason scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"It helps to have a sound understanding of the things of this world since you deal with all kinds of people in hero work," Clark defended cheerfully.

Jason scowled. "Then maybe I just need a different teacher. Mr. Hughes doesn't teach us anything."

"I can arrange for Jor-El to include mathmatics in your lessons at the fortress on the weekends," Clark offered.

Shuddering at the very thought, Jason cried, "No thanks! I'm perfectly fine learning about Kryptonian and Earth history from Grandpa at the moment. The way he explains things, my brain would combust if I had to learn multiple subjects at a time."

Lois and Clark both chuckled as they joined their son at the table. After saying grace, Lois complimented Jason on the food. "This is really good, son. Thanks for making dinner."

"No problem, mom," Jason said while savoring the melted cheese and sauce in his mouth. "You know I enjoy this kind of thing."

"To which I thank my lucky stars," Lois muttered. "I'll be forever thankful you got that gene from your dad."

Clark grinned. "I still remember that one cassarole you tried to make after we first got married, Lois. It's a good thing I have frost breathe or else the whole apartment would have gone down in flames."

Lois stuck her tongue out at him before asking, "So, how was saving the world today?"

Clark sighed. "It wasn't too bad. I put out a few fires, stopped several bank robberies, and a few villains tried to kidnap the Prime Minister in England but J'onn and I stopped that without much effort. I actually have a meeting at seven."

Lois nodded. "It is going to be a long one?"

Clark shrugged. "Batman's giving the presentation. Who knows how long it's going to go. Sometimes he's extremely short and other times he feels the need to explain everything to the last detail."

"Sounds like Uncle Bruce," Jason said, grinning. "Tell him I said hi, will you?"

"Always," Clark replied before finishing his lasagna and standing up to put his plate in the sink.

Lois followed him into the bedroom and wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Do you have to go?" she muttered into his back.

From the sudden huskiness in her tone, Clark was sorely tempted to skip the meeting all together. He knew he couldn't though; Bruce would kill him. Twisting around in her arms, he hugged Lois tenderly. "I'll be back before ten."

"Do you promise?" she asked, staring up at him with her sparkling hazel eyes. "Because I just happened to stop at the mall on my way home."

Clark looked over her shoulder where a pink bag was conveniently resting on the bed. "You really know how to tempt me, don't you?"

Lois grinned wickedly. "Be back by nine and I just might decide to do so."

"Deal," Clark said, suddenly filled with desire. Lois raised back her head as he swooped in for a kiss. "If the meeting's still going on, I'll leave anyway. There's no way I'm going to be late tonight."

Lois kissed him one more time before Clark pulled away, put on his suit in a blur, and headed out to the balcony.

"Night, Dad," Jason called.

"See you tomorrow, kiddo," Superman called before flying through the balcony in a burst of superspeed. He soared into the clouds, heading up into space where Watchtower and a boring meeting with the JLA waited for him. Even though Superman was sure the meeting was going to cover important information, he had already resigned himself to be heavily distracted with thoughts of a certain brunette reporter down in Metropolis.

o0o0o

It had been three days since the hospital had taken Thora's information to the Metropolis Police Department. Nobody had put in a missing person's claim and Thora's prints didn't appear to be in any city records. They were currently running her prints through a national scale but the police heavily hinted to Richard and Lana that Thora's just might be one of those cases where any records pertaining to who she really was could have been destroyed in a fire or some other disaster.

"So what are you saying," Richard asked.

It was early Monday morning when the police department called to give them an update.

"All searches concerning a Thora Jane with her exact description and prints has come back negative," the officer repeated into the phone. "The only thing we can conclude is that she isn't from the United States. If you want to take it to an international level, you can come by the Police Department and pick up her file."

Richard looked over at Lana. He'd put the call on speaker since his wife was also in the middle of getting ready for the day. Thora, to both of their knowlegde, was still asleep in the guest room on the other side of the hall. One look at his wife told Richard all he wanted to know. "Is it possible to keep her with us?"

The officer seemed surprised when he replied, "If that's what you want. Both of you found her so she might be more comfortable staying with you than with someone else."

Lana nodded her approval and Richard made it known that for now, they would be willing to keep Thora with them. "We'll take it to an international level for now and see if we can help her find her parents."

"That's a huge task to undertake," the officer said.

"If nothing comes of it, is it possible for us to adopt her?"

There was a pregnant pause over the phone. "I don't see why not," the officer answered in obvious surprise. "You'd have to deal with a ton of legal issues though."

"We'll discuss it with Thora before making any decisions," Lana said firmly. "Good day, officer."

She and Richard looked at each other. "Well, this is really unexpected," she said with a smile. "I marry you and then all of a sudden there's a possibility of a teenage daughter in our lives."

Richard grinned. "I told you that your life would never be the same if you committed to this," he said, gesturing to himself.

Lana laughed. "Yes, well, in all honesty I find it rather exciting."

"So, what are we going to do?" Richard asked.

Lana shrugged. "I think the best thing to do is see what Thora wants. This is her life we're talking about."

"If it comes down to it, are you really okay with adopting a teenager?" Richard asked.

Lana's eyes twinkled as she replied, "Of course I am, Richard. I love Thora. She's not your typical teen. She might even be in her early twenties."

Richard scoffed. "You and I both know that after being around her three days that she's definitely a teenager. Although I think she does have more maturity than the average young woman."

Lana rolled her eyes. "And you would know how?"

Richard wiggled his eyebrows. "Call it intuition, love."

Lana threw a pillow at him. "Like I believe you have any intuition whatsoever. Now, hurry up or you'll be late for work. I'll talk to Thora about it and see what she wants to do. We'll come visit you in the office around lunchtime."

Richard pecked her lips before straightening his tie. "Sounds like a plan. Love you, darling."

"Love you too," Lana said warmly as she watched him rush out the door. Finishing getting ready herself, she headed down the hall, trying to form in her mind how to broach the subject of Thora's future. "This is going to be interesting," she sighed. Staightening her shoulders, she put on a brave face and knocked on the door to Thora's room.

o0o0o

Thor touched down outside of Jane's apartment. Letting himself in, he looked around in the kitchen and the living room but both were vacant. "Jane?" he called.

"In here," she responded, halfheartedly.

Thor found his wife in their daughter's room. Movie posters covered the walls, an overcrowded bookshelf stood next to the window, and the closet was filled with clothes while jeans and baseball tees littered the floor. Jane was lying down on Thora's queen-sized bed, her arms wrapped tightly around their daughter's favorite stuffed animal. If Thor could recall correctly, it was called a Pikachu.

Jane sat up and wiped her tears away. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Thor set Mjolnir on the ground and sat down next to her, pulling her onto his lap with ease. Jane didn't protest. She nestled her head into his chest while he rested his chin on the crown of her head, moving only to kiss her hair delicately. Jane had never felt so frail. Thor wrapped his strong arms around her and cuddled her even closer. "Everything is going to be alright," he soothed, kissing her hair again.

Jane tried really hard to keep her sobbing to herself but Thor wasn't fooled. She shook like a leaf. "A-Any news?" she asked, trying and failing to keep her voice steady.

"No," Thor answered with regret. "We have searched five of the nine realms and still no sign of Loki."

"I guess we shouldn't be surprised," Jane muttered. "He'll only be found when he wants to be."

Thor didn't comment, his silence supporting her words. "I've informed the others."

Jane sighed. "How much do you want to bet that S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to be storming into our apartment in less than an hour?"

Just then the bell rang. Thor chuckled and kissed Jane over the temple. "I'll handle this."

"Okay," she mumbled, slipping out of his lap. He squeezed her fingers gently before leaving the room. Falling onto her side, Jane grabbed Pikachu and hugged him to her chest.

Agent Colson's voice drifted down the hallway. "When was the last time you saw Thora?"

"We were on Asgard," Thor answered and then went into the details beginning where Loki had made his impromptu entrance.

"So he's working with someone?" Colson asked.

"The Enchantress," Thor elaborated again. "She's of Asgard and known to be highly skilled in sorcery."

"Why haven't we had to deal with her before?"

"She's never bothered to concern herself with Midgard. Not all Asgardians feel that humans are worth their time and attention."

"You'd think that would have changed by now," Agent Colson muttered. "Alright. I'll report everything you've told me and we'll start the manhunt for Loki. You'd think he'd get the hint to stop messing with humans."

"It isn't in Loki's nature to give up after one try," Thor sighed. "Especially when it concerns me. It's been like this ever since I gained Mjolnir."

"Yes, well... I'll keep you posted."

"Agent Colson, you know you really don't need to do this."

"Actually, Thor, we do. Being that your daughter is half American, it gives us the right to be involved. It doesn't matter what kind of creature you are, if you threaten one of our own, you can bet we're going to fight back. I assume you told the other Avengers?"

"Yes. They have started searching as well."

"Good. Don't worry, Thor. We'll find Loki and get Thora back in no time. If there's one thing I've learned after all these years it's that the good guys always win."

The door shut and Thor returned to Thora's room. He smiled sadly as he found Jane lying down again. Lifting her back into his lap, Thor kissed her head. "With everyone helping, we'll find her in no time," he soothed.

Jane sobbed with a smile and latched onto her husband, hugging him tightly. Thor ran his fingers through her silky caramel hair, gently lifting her head. Tears streaming down her face, Jane looked into the eyes of the man she loved and saw her sorrow reflected in them. Running her hands up Thor's chest, she leaned upward and kissed him deeply, seeking comfort. Their bodies seemed to meld together as they drew as close as possible, desperate to comfort the other the best way they knew how: together.

o0o0o

Thora's heart was racing. For the hundredth time that morning she questioned why on earth she let Lana convince her to go to school. Dr. Hamilton had approved of the idea when Lana proposed it to him over the phone the other day, saying that it just might help Thora regain her memories. Sighing, the blond stared at her reflection, sizing up her overall appearance. She wore a tight blue blouse with silver rose patterns running across her stomach and a pair of blue jeans. She let her hair run wild, the loose curls flipping in opposite directions across her shoulders.

"Thora, are you ready?" Lana asked, knocking on her door.

Thora opened it. "How do I look?" she asked nervously.

Lana's green eyes sparkled as she gave her a once over. "As always, simply beautiful," she appraised, kissing Thora's forehead.

Thora beamed, the butterflies in her stomach settling temporarily. "Thanks."

"Are you two ladies ready to hit the road? We don't want to be late!" Richard's voice called at the bottom of the stairs.

"We'll be right down," Lana said. Thora's stomach lurched when Lana handed over her shoulderbag. "I took the liberties of filing it up for you. I just used the list the teachers gave us when we went to check out the school yesterday."

Thora nodded, swallowing hard. "Thanks."

"Don't worry, sweetheart, you're going to be fine."

"What if I don't make any friends?"

Lana put an arm around her as the two made their way out to the car where Richard was waiting. "I don't think that will be a problem," Lana assured. "You just have to talk to people."

Getting in the car and heading towards her impending doom only escalated Thora's heartbeat. Richard looked back at her through his rearview mirror. "Thora, relax. It's not like we're sending you to fight against a supervillain."

"Feels like it," Thora muttered.

"What's wrong?" Richard probed.

Sighing, the young blond looked him in the eye and said, "A lot of things. I don't know anyone, I'm afraid nobody will like me, and it's the middle of the school year. Everyone already knows each other. I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb!"

"Hmmm, those are all good reasons to be nervous," Richard agreed, "but there are simple solutions for each one. For the first two, just be yourself. Not everyone is going to be your friend in school but the people who like you will gravitate towards your personality and in the end it's really only those people that you should concern youself with. As to going to school in the middle of the year, just stick to the story we set up."

"I guess you're right," Thora muttered, thinking of her cover up story.

They decided that telling the truth to her schoolmates would be worse than telling them a lie; people would be sure to take advantage of Thora's short term memory loss. So, instead, they made up the story that Thora's parents were traveling around looking for a place to settle and didn't want her to miss school so they sent her to live with her "aunt and uncle", Richard and Lana. Lana also suggested Thora tell everyone she was from Smallville, Kansas because few people knew where that was so the chances of coming across someone from there were very slim. The less questions the better.

They turned into the school grounds and Thora was pulled away from her thoughts. Staring out at the front of the school, her eyes widened. It was the first time she'd seen such a large gathering of people all around the same age as she was; well, that she thought she was. Richard and Lana suggested that she was around seventeen and Thora decided to run with that. It was determined by the school board that she should attend classes as a Junior. They'd gone to Metropolis High yesterday to find out where Thora's classes were located and meet her teachers to explain her delicate situation. All of them were very understanding and looking forward to working with her; the teachers had a right to know the truth so as to be more understanding.

Richard pulled up to the curb and reached back to squeeze Thora's hand. "You've got your cell phone. If you start to feel overwhelmed, give us a call. If we don't answer right away, don't panic. We'll get back to you as soon as we can."

Thora nodded.

Lana reached her hand back too to repeat Richard's gesture. "Remember, be yourself and make sure to write down anything that sparks familiarity to you."

"Okay."

"I'll be here to pick you up later," Richard promised.

Thora looked at both of them. They'd gone above and beyond for her and they were doing it because they wanted to. Of all the people that could have come to her rescue, she was thankful that it was the Whites. "Thank you so much."

Lana gave her hand an extra squeeze. "Anytime, sweetheart."

Suddenly filled with determination, Thora let go of their hands and got out of the car. "See you later," she said with a smile before heading towards the front entrance. For a brief moment, her nerves were replaced with the chilling thrill of adventure. Glaring ahead of her, Thora squared her shoulders. "Bring it on," she muttered. And then she rushed up the steps and pushed the doors open, leaving her fears at the bottom of the stairs.


	5. The New Girl

5: The New Girl

Jason headed to his last class, gym, in silence. Everyone around him was talking about the Homecoming Dance. Even Gray was excited but that was because by some miracle he had secured a date with Penny Rogers. His best friend had an extra spring in his step since yesterday. Jason was genuinely happy for Gray but he wasn't sure if Gray knew that. Jason's sullen mood had definitely prompted some probing questions from Gray but he was too prideful to admit what was really the source of the problem. What really bothered Jason was that as much as he wanted to go to the dance, he didn't have anyone to go with. He knew it was mostly his fault but he couldn't help it. Even though there were tons of girls to ask out, none of them seemed to stand out to him. He didn't feel it would be appropriate to ask a girl out for the sole purpose of getting to the dance.

The second he was in the locker room, Gray attacked him again. "Jase, you've been scowling all day. I know I've already asked but I'm not going to give up until you tell me what's going on."

Jason pulled on his gym uniform and then sighed. "I don't have a date to the dance," he muttered so quietly that Gray almost had to guess what he'd just said.

"Then ask someone."

"It's not that simple."

"Yeah it is," Gray said testily. "'Hi, I'm Jason. Do you want to go to Homecoming with me?'"

Jason frowned. "Unlike some people, the girls that I choose to ask are those that I actually have feelings for."

Gray only grinned at the accusation. "Come on, Jason, you can't tell me that there's not a single girl in this school who has caught your eye."

Jason gave him a look. Gray actually took a step back. It was the same look Superman gave his enemies when he was done negotiating. From that look, the conversation was clearly closed. Following Jason outside where the class was assembling, Gray decided to stick with safe comments about teachers and homework assignments. Jason seemed to mellow out as he listened to his friend make fun of their history teacher.

By the time they made it to the football stadium where the track ran around the outside of the field, Coach Green had already revealed that they would all be running on the track for the coming week to build up stamina. The girls had been assigned to run first and were already in the middle of their first go around. Jason and Gray joined the other boys who were relaxing around the bleachers, waiting for their turn.

"Hey, Gray, have you seen the new girl?" Thomas Adkins, the star quarterback for the school's team, asked.

"No," Gray answered, leaning leisurely against a set of bleachers. "Which one is she?"

"There," Thomas pointed.

Jason followed his finger which was pointing to a blond chick that seemed to be completely at ease running at a decent pace on the opposite side of the field from where the boys were gathered. Her long locks streaked behind her like some kind of cape and even from here Jason could tell she had a great figure.

Gray whistled. "Wow, where did she come from?"

"Turns out she just moved to Metropolis," Cary Jean, the editor of the school paper, answered. He tended to know the ins and outs of every bit of news in the school. If you ever needed to know what was going on, a conversation with Cary was guaranteed to bring you up to speed. Unfortunately, he also was the number one source to go to if you wanted to start a rumor, which Jason was always the victim of; he was the jocks number one punching bag. Gray usually kept the football players in check but the jocks had figured out how to get him out of the way; send a girl in Gray's path and they were home free to knock Jason into next week.

"Did her parents get a new job or something?" Jason asked. The football players gave him dirty looks that obviously meant to say: don't even try to make a move on the new girl. They had little to worry about. There was no way Jason was dumb enough to get in their way when they were on the prowl.

"Actually the rumor is that she's staying with her aunt and uncle while her parents are traveling around to find a place to live," Cary said, unaware of the tension between Jason and the jocks. "I heard she's from a place in Kansas. Callville?"

"Smallville?" Jason suggested.

"Yeah, that's it," Cary said. "You heard of it?"

"Um, I think it's famous for a meteor crash that happened over thirty years ago," Jason hedged.

The jocks rolled their eyes. "Of course the only reason Kent would know about the place is because its involved with space," Thomas teased. "Science nerd." Several of his friends laughed stupidly behind him.

Jason could feel a punch bag moment coming on but just then the girls ran past, temporarily distracting the jocks; spandex shorts were always a welcome diversion. The girl from Smallville ran past, seeming at complete ease. She hadn't even broken into a sweat. Instead she had a cheerful smile on her face listening to a girl with short brown hair who was gasping for breath with every step she took.

Jason's super hearing may not be as strong as his dad's but he strained just enough to be able to pick up their conversation.

"I can't...believe...you're not out of breath," the brown haired girl muttered.

"I guess running isn't that hard for me," the Smallville girl answered. "You have to walk around a lot where I come from."

"Now I'm envious...wish...I'd grown up on a farm...like you, Thora."

"Come on, Helen, I think that growing up in the city is a good thing."

Helen laughed but it turned into a cough. "Just wait until you've been here for a while," she gasped.

"I don't know...so far I..."

Thora's voice went out of Jason's range. He stared after her, watching her figure sway gracefully back and forth while her hair danced on the wind. He'd been able to get a good look at her face when she ran past and found that it was incredibly appealing. Thora's eyes were a bluish hue, shaped like large almonds. Her nose came to a slight point and her lips were fuller on the bottom than the top, a soft sunset pink. And then there was her name. It was so exotic. Jason had never heard anything like it before. As he stared after her, he knew from the moment she passed that there was no way he could ever talk to her. She was the typical expectation for the football players. Even her hair was the desirable color! And when he was finally able to look away from her, it was unmistakable to see the hunger on Thomas's face.

Jason felt his stomach drop. Yep, his chances were zero to none.

"Alright boys, you're up!" Coach Green shouted.

Jason tried to avoid the smug look on Gray's face. His best friend knew him too well. He'd seen the way Jason had stared at the new girl. If anything, Gray would do all he could to spur Jason forward; somebody had to push him. If he didn't act, Thomas or one of the other idiots on the football team was going to snag her. Silently deciding on what flirting tactics he could advise, Gray ran alongside his best friend with a smile.

o0o0o

Thora joined the rest of the girls on the bleachers. All of them were completely winded besides her. Thora found it strange that the ten laps around the track hadn't even been a challenge for her. Trying not to make a big deal out of it, she turned her attention to the boys who were running around the football field. As she watched, one black haired boy immediately caught her attention. He was tall and slender but from the way he was built Thora could somehow tell that there was more to him than met the eye. His clothes were obviously a size too big, hinting that he was trying to hide himself. Despite that, she could see he had a very nice jaw line.

"Who's that?" she asked casually, pointing to the boy.

Helen looked up and saw where she was pointing. "Oh, that's Dick Grayson," she said with a small giggle. "He's cute isn't he? He's also the biggest playboy in the school."

Thora's eyebrow's threaded together. "He doesn't look like a playboy."

"Are you kidding? Look at the way he's dressed! That muscle shirt is an obvious indication that he's plainly inviting the first girl to approach to rip it off."

Thora then noticed the boy running next to the one she had her eyes on. He had on a red muscle shirt that indicated what Helen said. "I wasn't pointing to _him_," Thora said.

"You weren't?" Helen asked, confused.

"No. I was pointing to the guy next to him. The one in the slightly baggy clothes."

Helen actually started laughing. "You're kidding, right? You honestly weren't checking out Jason Kent, were you?"

"Why do you say his name like he's something terrible?" Thora asked, feeling the need to defend him.

Helen looked over at the cheerleaders and lowered her voice. "Jason Kent is on the black list."

Thora raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"The jocks hate him," Helen elaborated. "He's one of the least popular kids in school. Everyone stays away from him, except for Gray. If you ask me, I think he keeps him around for comic relief."

Thora raised an eyebrow. "That's not a very nice thing to say, Helen."

Helen shrugged. "I'm just trying to stay neutral. I get along with everyone for the most part. If I started hanging out with Jason Kent, I'd be an automatic outcast. Trust me, Thora; don't get close to him if you're trying to fit in. And believe me, since you're the new girl, everyone has their eye on you. Hanging out with the most unpopular kid in school won't do you any favors."

"If he's so unpopular then why does Dick Grayson, whom you say is popular, hang around him?"

Helen shrugged. "Like I said, maybe for the comic relief."

"What do you mean by that?"

"See for yourself," Helen said, pointing.

Thora turned back to see Jason running around the track in last place. Several of the other boys who had already finished their run laughed as he passed them, throwing things at him. All of a sudden Jason tripped and fell, toppling end over end. Laughter erupted all over the field. Jason clumsily got to his feet and put his glasses back on. Thora felt a surge of anger towards all the kids who'd laughed at him. Anyone could have tripped like that. But no sooner had she thought this, Jason stumbled, nearly losing his balance again. Had he hurt himself in that fall?

"And that's Jason Kent, through and through," Helen said, as if stating the obvious.

"I still don't get what you mean," Thora said.

"He's the clumsiest person you'll ever meet," Helen explained. "He trips over his own two feet more than any other person I've ever met. It's common to find him locked in the boys' bathroom. He's constantly walking into doors and stumbling over trashcans. And he's notorious for being found inside of his locker at the end of the day."

"He locks himself in his own locker?" Thora asked, dubious.

"No that last one is the football players trademark," Helen sighed. "I guess you could say that when Gray's not looking, Jason Kent is the football team's number one punching bag."

"Who's Gray?"

"Oh, Dick Grayson goes by Gray."

"Oh."

Thora turned to look at Jason again. He'd finished his last lap and looked completely winded, leaning over to breathe. Gray had been moving towards him but then one of the cheerleaders caught his attention and dragged him back to the bleachers. Seeing Gray distracted, the jocks moved in like wolves. Thora immediately started looking around for Coach Green but the teacher seemed to have disappeared.

"Where's the coach?" Thora asked.

Helen was already moving towards the girl's locker room. "No idea," she replied. "School's out so he might be in his office. Why?"

Thora pointed across the field to where the jocks were surrounding Jason. Helen grimaced. "Leave it, Thora. Come on."

Thora looked at Helen then looked at Jason and made a decision. Who cared about popularity? Beating up someone for fun wasn't something Thora could tolerate. It was filled with dishonor and a true warrior wouldn't be caught doing such a cowardly act. To this last thought, Thora's head suddenly pounded uncomfortably in her skull. Dishonor? Warrior? Where had that come from? Shaking her head, she looked back to the small gathering of boys. "I'll see you later," she said, moving towards them.

Helen sighed. "Your funeral."

Thora watched her go and felt a certain amount of disappointment. She liked Helen but her new friend didn't seem to have a backbone. Dismissing her choice in friends, Thora moved around the bleachers when someone caught her arm. Twisting her around painfully, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist.

"Hey beautiful," a husky voice said in her ear.

Thora pulled away just enough to see some redheaded jock had dragged her underneath the bleachers. He had a square face with a long pointed nose and sapphire eyes. In other circumstances Thora might have found him attractive but from the way his hands were flying up her stomach, such thoughts drowned out in anger.

"GET OFF ME!" She shouted, struggling.

The boy silenced her by thrusting his mouth over hers, his tongue invading her personal space. His hands snaked around her waist and pulled her into him before traveling down past her hips. That was the last straw. With incredible speed, Thora ripped the boy's hands off her. Furious, she placed both hands on the boy's chest and shoved him away from her with all her might. An obnoxious crack rent the air as the boy went flying. His body crashed through two support beams before slamming into a third where his limp form crumbled into the dirt.

Thora's eyes widened in terror. Not knowing what else to do, she ran.

o0o0o

Jason was in the middle of a punch session with George Sanders when his sensitive hearing picked up what sounded like the groans of support beams being severed. Glancing to the bleachers, a feeling of dread overcame him. What if someone was under there and the bleachers fell? He had to check. But how? He was being held by two jocks while a third was punching him repeatedly in the jaw. The blows would never draw blood but Jason was sure he would have a bruise. All of a sudden someone's fist connected with the side of George's head.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?" Gray roared, pulling his fist back to punch a disoriented George right under the chin. The jock went flying. Seeing this as a golden opportunity, Jason ran away as fast as he could towards the bleachers.

Rushing around to the stands, he skidded to a halt in horror. Lying in the dirt, pale as winter, was Thomas Adkins. It looked as if he'd been thrown mercilessly through two support beams before slamming into a third. Jason broke his shock and ran to Thomas as fast as he could go without hitting super speed. "This is bad," he muttered, looking over the boy and seeing bruises already forming all over his body. "Bad, bad, bad, bad!" He knew that if Thomas didn't get to a hospital immediately, he wasn't going to make it.

Cupping his hands to his mouth, Jason hollered with all his might, "SOMEBODY! HELP!" He knew his dad would come. He had to!

In seconds, Superman was there. "What happened?" he demanded, surveying the scene.

"Dad, please, he needs to get to the hospital!"

Without another word, Superman lifted Thomas and blasted into the air, hitting supersonic twenty feet from the ground. Jason sent up a silent plea that his dad would make it to the hospital in time. Shaking, Jason looked around, surveying the scene. What had happened here? Why had Thomas been behind the bleachers in the first place? Not wanting to get caught at the scene of the crime, Jason hightailed it back to the field where he found Gray chasing off the jocks, threatening to flay them alive if he ever caught them punching Jason again.

"Dude, where did you go?" Gray asked angrily.

"We need to get out of here," Jason said.

"Why? Jason, what's wrong?" Gray asked, immediately picking up the panic in his friend's tone.

"Not here," Jason muttered before rushing off the field as fast as he could, his senses on high alert. His eyes darted everywhere, picking out even the slightest movement, but it was hard to find anything suspicious when the entire student population was quickly filtering out of the school heading for home.

Jason waited until he and Gray were the last ones in the boys locker room before telling him what he'd found. Gray listened with rapt attention. "What do you think it was?" he asked.

"I have no idea," Jason muttered. "Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that if I hadn't called for my dad when I did, Thomas would probably be a corpse."

Gray shuddered. "You realize that this is going to have to be reported, right? It's a crime scene Jason and you were the one who found it! You realize this could be really bad, right?"

"I know," Jason snapped. "But what was I supposed to do? Let him die?"

"Of course not," Gray retorted. "But you can't just simply walk off campus and not report it."

"I know!"

Just then, the door leading out to the football field opened and Superman came inside. Jason opened his mouth to speak but Superman shook his head. Walking passed him, he moved towards Coach Green's office. The coach nearly had a heart attack when he saw who was standing in the doorway.

"Excuse me," Superman said, "but could I talk with you and the principal out on the football field? There's been an accident."

"Oh my gosh, is everything alright?" Coach Green asked, jumping out of his seat.

"It will be. I've already called the Police. They'll be here in less than five minutes."

Coach Green picked up the phone and in minutes Principal Henry came bursting through the doors. Catching Superman standing in the boys' locker room caused him to pause but then he was all business. "What happened, Superman?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Superman responded as he headed out to the football field. With a look at Jason, Superman plainly was telling him to follow. A crowd had gathered the second Superman was spotted strolling across the field. Police officers had materialized on the scene and were roping off the area where Jason had found Thomas twenty minutes ago.

"Twenty minutes ago I had just finished dealing with a bank robbery when I heard a cry for help," Superman explained to the authorities and Principal Henry. Superman gestured for Jason to step forward. "This young man had been the one to sound the alarm and when I arrived he told me to take a fellow student to the hospital."

Officer Hampton turned to Jason. "What happened?" he asked.

"I came around the stands and saw this exactly as you see it except Thomas was lying over there in the dirt," he said, pointing the third support beam which was cracked.

"Did you see anyone?" Superman asked.

Jason shook his head. "No."

Superman seemed to nod in approval before turning back to the adults to describe Thomas's injuries as well as what transpired when he took him to the hospital. "He's going to recover but he's in the ICU as we speak. I'm unclear as to who would do such a thing to a young man but I trust there will be further investigation."

The police officers nodded. "We'll look into it, Superman."

"Thank you," the Man of Steel said before turning to Jason. "I'm glad you were able to find that young man when you did. If you hadn't called for help, he wouldn't have made it."

"I only did what anyone else would do," Jason responded.

Superman nodded before taking off, leaving the police to finish up the crime scene. Jason held back a sigh. Everyone was looking at him and the whispers were already flying. Some were calling him a hero, others suspected that he might have had something to do with the attack, and the rest were marveling over how close they'd been to Superman. Slipping into the dispersing crowd, Jason caught sight of Gray and headed in his direction.

"I need to get to the Daily Planet," Jason sighed.

"I was just going to ask if you needed a ride," Gray said, nodding. "I expect you're going to be doing a debriefing?"

Jason shrugged his shoulders. "Welcome to my life."

Gray cracked a smile and the two made their way to his car.

o0o0o

Thora ran as fast as she could, her arms wrapped protectively around her. Tears streamed down her cheeks in full force. Thankfully nobody seemed to be paying attention to her. She'd left her regular clothes and shoulder bag in her locker in the girls' locker room but she had no intention of going back there; not when there was a possibility that creep had friends lying in wait to finish what he started.

True to his word, Richard's car was waiting right where he'd dropped her off hours before. Relief flooded through Thora at the sight of Richard. Yanking the door open, she flew inside and latched onto him.

"Wow, Thora, what happened?" Richard asked, pulling away from her. Thora shivered uncontrollably, her arms held protectively around her body. Richard immediately thought the worst. Seeing the bruises already forming on her arms, anger temporarily turned his vision red. Grabbing Thora by the shoulders, he looked into the girl's eyes. "Thora," he said sternly, "What happened?"

Choking back sobs, Thora cried, "Some guy grabbed me and pulled me under the bleachers. H-He started to touch me and when I tried to break free, he kissed me and...and..."

Richard pulled her close as the girl broke down in hysterics. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. It was her first day of school in Metropolis and some idiot had tried to seduce her. She'll never go to school again after this, Richard thought to himself. He stroked Thora's hair as she continued to sob into his shoulder, her body shaking as if it was going to shatter any second.

"Shhhh," he soothed. "It's going to be okay. You'll be alright."

For the next twenty minutes Richard held Thora as she cried. After awhile, her hysterical sobs lessened to sniffles and her eyes were finally free from falling tears. Her grip didn't lessen any, however. It was as if Richard was a life preserver and even if the storm had died, Thora was still terrified to let go. Richard kissed her hair gently and continued to rub her back. Here, with him, Thora felt safe.

"Don't make me go back," she whimpered.

"No, of course not," Richard muttered, holding her tight. "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we pick up Lana, go home, and order a pizza? Sound good?"

Thora nodded. She allowed herself to slip out of Richard's protective arms but she wouldn't let go of his hand. She felt like she might shatter completely if she did. Her mind was spinning out of control. She hadn't been able to tell Richard the most terrifying part of the experience, of how she'd thrown the boy like he was a ragdoll and sent him crashing through solid columns of cement. For all she knew, she could have killed him! She had no idea that she would throw him so far or so hard when she'd tossed him away from her. She'd only been thinking about getting away but even she knew that what she'd done wasn't normal. And if the boy was dead...how could she ever live with herself? Mortified, spiraling into darkness, Thora had run to one of the few individuals she felt could keep her from losing her mind. Her grip on Richard seemed to be the only thing keeping her from slipping into the darkness that wanted so desperately to consume her.

Richard picked Lana up and filled her in with all the details he could. Lana immediately wrapped her arms around Thora from the backseat and didn't let go of her all the way home. When they arrived at the house, Lana got out, opened Thora's door, and enveloped the girl in a hug. It was only then that Thora let go of Richard's hand. Pulling away from the hug but keeping their fingers interlocked, Lana led Thora into the house while Richard ordered a couple of pizzas. The three of them spent the evening in silence. Richard managed to get Thora to eat a couple slices of pizza before the poor girl fell asleep in Lana's arms.

"She's not going back," Lana whispered fiercely.

Richard agreed. "I'll take off work tomorrow as well. I don't think it wise to leave her home alone."

Lana nodded. Richard got up and left the room to call Perry to let him know why he wouldn't be coming into the office tomorrow. Even from the living room Lana could hear Perry's colorful language.

"She's fine, uncle," Richard assured. "No, we're not going to send her back to school. Yes, I'm going to stay with her all day tomorrow. What? Fine, bring dinner tomorrow. Yeah, I think she'll like that. Thanks. Okay, bye."

Richard sighed as he came back into the room. Lana looked at him with a small smile. "Your uncle is a good man."

Richard smiled tiredly. "Yeah, he is. He's going to bring dinner tomorrow."

"I'm sure Thora will like that," Lana muttered, looking down at the girl in her arms. She noticed the bruises and had to quell the anger threatening to boil her blood. "Where on earth was the coach?" she growled. "This never would have happened under adult supervision."

"I'll call the school and report it," Richard said as he turned on the news.

"Apparently the accident occurred just before school ended," the reporter was saying, causing Richard to pause. Lana turned her attention to the big screen as well. The camera was showing what looked to be an accident under the bleachers of Metropolis High School. "Thomas Adkins, star quarterback for the Metropolis High football team, was found unconscious by a fellow student, having suffered severe injuries. When found, the student cried for help and Superman flew to the scene, taking Thomas to Met General in the nick of time. Police are unsure what could have caused Thomas to break through two cement support beams but have urged the students and staff of Metropolis High to be on their guard. Thomas left the ICU two hours ago and is now recovering in the hospital."

Richard and Lana looked at each other with raised eyebrows. The wreckage they saw on TV was shocking. Both of them had heard Thora say that a boy had dragged her under the bleachers and tried to seduce her and how she broke free before he could really do anything. Her story and the one from the news were suspiciously similar. But that left the question that neither of them wanted to ask. Had Thora done this? One shared look told them they both thought so. That could only mean one thing; Thora had super powers. How else could a boy fly fifty feet through two solid pillars of concrete?

"Don't call the school," Lana said fiercely.

"Right," Richard replied.


	6. The Question

AN: I am so sorry that I haven't updated sooner! Life. It can be such a pain. So, to make up for it, I'm giving you more than one chapter! SURPRISE! :D

REVIEW PLEEEEASE! ;) Thankies much!

6: The Question

Jason heaved a heavy sigh as he trudged his way to the elevator of the Daily Planet. He was sure his dad had updated his mom on everything that happened. Stepping into the elevator, Jason punched one of the upper levels. Boring elevator music swam over his head; they really needed to update their music selection. The doors binged open and a flurry of noise hit Jason like a ton of bricks. The usual hussle and bussle could be found in the bullpen. Several reporters recognized Jason and waved. Others were shouting into their phones or slamming away at their keyboards on the next story.

Jason ignored all of this and headed towards the Editor in Chief's office. Two desks were situated so they were ten paces away from it. It wasn't a secret that the two best reporters resided here, and they just happened to be Jason's parents. His dad's chair was currently vacant.

"Honey, are you alright?"

Jason looked up to find his mother jumping up to give him a hug. "I'm fine, mom."

"You're dad called and told me what happened," Lois muttered. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," Jason answered, a little flustered.

Lois studied him with a calculating expression. "Let's go to the roof."

Jason groaned. "Do we have to?"

Lois didn't wait for him to answer. Taking his hand, she practically dragged him back to the elevator.

"LANE! Where do you think you're going?"

Without turning around, Lois shouted, "I need some air, Perry! Every reporter needs a break once in a while!"

"You're deadline is in half an hour! If it's not on my desk in twenty, I'm gonna dock your pay!"

"I'd like to see you try, old man!" Lois snapped heartily, stepping into the elevator.

Perry flashed her a grin just before the doors closed. It was common knowledge that Perry's threats were idle words; but that didn't stop him from shouting them anyway. Even if Lois was his favorite, he treated her just like he treated every other employee which suited Lois just fine. In fact, she loved being yelled at; she took it as a challenge to try harder. Even though she had to deal with her son at the moment, there was no way she would ever miss a deadline. Perry wanted her article in twenty? She'd get it to him in fifteen. She didn't expect this little family meeting to last longer than five minutes.

Jason followed his mother out onto the roof where Superman stood waiting for them. Lois went over to the edge and leaned against the wall. Jason folded his arms and rested his shoulders against the door.

"What's up, Dad?"

"Jason, you really didn't see anyone?"

"No," he replied honestly. "It's like I told the police, when I came around the bleachers Thomas was already knocked out."

"So you had nothing to do with it?" Lois asked.

"Of course not, Mom! How could you even think I'd do something like that?" Jason demanded, feeling betrayed. Surely his parents didn't think he'd lied to the police? And they certainly wouldn't suspect him of being Thomas' attacker, right? Didn't they know him better than that?

Superman saw the hurt in his son's eyes. "Jason, we know that Thomas and his friends don't treat you kindly. We also know that you'd never intentionally hurt someone. We just wanted to make sure that this accident wasn't something out of self defense."

"Oh," Jason said, suddenly feeling stupid. Of course that would be what they would have guessed had happened. It made more sense than them thinking he'd done it on purpose.

"It wasn't self defense, was it, honey?" Lois asked.

Jason shook his head. "No."

Lois breathed a sigh of relief. "I hate those kids. If I had it my way, I'd go down there and kick their-"

Superman cut her off. "Lois, the last thing I want is to bail you out of jail for assault."

Lois grinned. "Who said I'd go to jail? You wouldn't throw me in, would you?"

Superman rolled his eyes. "No I wouldn't because I'd stop you from committing the crime before you could even start it."

"Not if I distract you," Lois murmured, stepping up to him and running a hand up his chest.

"Um, can I go?" Jason asked. "It's great that you two want to get all lovey dovey on the rooftop but I'd prefer if you didn't have any witnesses."

Superman and Lois both laughed. With his arms around his wife, Superman nodded to his son. "Keep your eyes open at school alright? Even though I feel it was a one time offense, I'd rather that we all stay alert. As much as I hate to admit it, that attack couldn't have been done by a human."

Jason nodded. "I'll keep my eyes peeled."

"And make sure nobody comes up the stairs on your way down, son," Lois called.

Jason scowled as he shut the door behind him, glad that he hadn't turned around since he was sure his parents were already making out in full swing.

o0o0o

Thora was in her room. She'd situated her chair to face the window so that she could see the sunset. She hadn't moved all day. Her arms were clasped around a bright yellow mouse with round red cheeks. Lana had bought the Pikachu plushie when she'd seen Thora staring at it intently in the mall the day they went shopping for clothes. Thora didn't know what is was about the bright yellow mouse that caused the aching in her heart to lessen a bit. It was a strange kind of security blanket and right now Thora needed as much security as she could get.

She'd convinced Lana and Richard not to hover over her because she couldn't stand to be around them. They weren't tainted like she was. They hadn't hurt someone so much to put them in the ICU. Though Richard had tried to hide it, Thora saw the front page of the Daily Planet that morning concerning the incident. She'd read the article against Richard's advice and afterward wished she'd listened to him. The words weren't meant to accuse but Thora felt as if they were knives repeatedly stabbing her in the heart. According to the article, if Superman hadn't arrived on the scene and taken Thomas Adkins to the hospital, the boy would have died. Thora's insides shriveled up at the very thought. She wasn't a murderer…was she? For all she knew, she really could be. And that thought scared her more than Thomas dying.

What if she was a killer and her natural instincts kicked in and she ended up killing Richard and Lana? Tears poured from her eyes for the tenth time that day as she considered the horrible thought. Hugging Pikachu tighter to her chest, Thora buried her face into the plushie.

"I'm not a killer," she whispered into Pikachu's head. "I'm not. I wouldn't hurt Lana or Richard."

_Ahhh, but you hurt that boy_, a nasty voice said in her head_. What if you hurt them on accident, in self defense? Would you ever be able to live with yourself?_

Thora stifled a sob. She didn't want to run away. Doing that would require her to use self defense all the time which would result in tons of people ending up in the ICU or worse. No, it was best if she stayed where she was. Lana and Richard would never do anything to provoke her. Drying her eyes with the back of her hand, Thora looked out the window. For the briefest of moments she saw a streak of blue and red shoot across the sky. Superman. Once again Thora sent up a silent thank you to him for saving that boy. Even if he'd done terrible things to her, she wouldn't have been able to live with herself if he'd died. Thora was so grateful to know that Superman was always out there, to help in any way he could.

And then she had a thought.

The strength she used yesterday had been astonishing. She knew that in times of self defense people were known to do extraordinary things but what she had done yesterday was beyond that. Thora had used all the strength she could and it had sent Thomas flying through two five feet thick pillars of concrete. No, what she had displayed was beyond human strength. It had been super strength.

Her thoughts raced further. She didn't know who her parents were. Was it possible that one or both of them were superheroes? Seized upon by this possibility, Thora stood up. Lana had said that if she wanted to know more about the Justice League that Richard could get her a ton of articles from the Daily Planet's archieves. Surely some of those articles would list off the superheroes abilities. All she would need is a brief description of what they looked like and which one of them had super strength. It was a crazy idea, but it was the only thing giving Thora an ounce of hope. If her parents were superheroes, maybe they would be able to console her and help her through these terrifying thoughts. Maybe they could help her control her strength so she didn't hurt someone else!

Thora kept hold of Pikachu as she crossed her room and headed down to Richard's study. With each passing step greater whispers of doubt clouded her mind, dismissing the idea of superhero parents. Standing outside of Richard's office, Thora squared her shoulders. I've got to know, she thought fiercely.

"Richard?"

Richard looked up from his computer to find Thora standing in the hallway. Her hair was tossled in different directions, her features were pale, and her arms were hugging her Pikachu plushie in a deathgrip. "Thora, what is it?" he asked, standing up.

"Um, I was just wondering," Thora mumbled, "do you happen to have access to the Daily Planet archives?"

Richard's eyebrows rose. "Sure do. Is there something you want to look up?"

"I-I wanted to research the Justice League," Thora admitted, deciding that it was only fair to be honest with him. "What I did yesterday…well, you saw the news. Normal people can't do that."

Richard saw that Thora was about to break again. She was shaking uncontrollably. Stepping forward, he wrapped her in a hug. "It's okay," he said, kissing her hair. "You didn't do it on purpose."

"That doesn't change the fact that I'm dangerous," Thora cried, her tears returning. "I wanted to look up the superheroes because maybe one of them or both of them could be my parents. Maybe they could help me with my power so that I don't end up hurting someone else."

Her voice had reached it's highest pitch on the last part and she sobbed openly into Richard's shoulder. The older man stared at her, thinking over what she said. Granted, he'd had the same thoughts. He had actually been in the middle of deciding whether or not to call Clark when Thora had knocked on his door. If she'd thought the same thing he had, perhaps it wasn't a coincidence.

"I'll tell you what, kiddo," Richard said pulling her away so he could look into her eyes. "Lois Lane is one of my best friends and she just happens to be one of the best ways to get hold of superheroes."

Thora sniffled, rubbing her hand under her nose. "Do you think she'd help?"

"Definitely," Richard assured. "She may be a reporter but she won't tell anyone about your connection to the incident."

Thora stiffened. "How do you know?"

"Because she's the best at keeping secrets," Richard replied with such assurance that Thora's doubts were washed away instantly.

"Can we go and talk to her?" Thora asked.

Richard smiled. "Actually, she's going to come to us."

"Really?"

"Yep. She and her family will be joining us for dinner in about an hour. I was just about to come ask if you wanted to eat with us."

Thora nodded. "I'd love to." She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. "Thank you, Richard."

"Any time," he answered, squeezing her gently.

A little over an hour later, the doorbell rang.

"Late as usual," Richard muttered as he went to answer the door. "It's about time! We were wondering if you'd gotten lost. Did you let Clark drive or something?"

The Kents laughed and hugs were exchanged. Jason held onto Richard longer than his parents; he hadn't seen his other dad in two months.

"How are you kiddo?" Richard asked with fatherly warmth.

"Great now that I finally get to see you, dad," Jason replied. "You've been back for almost a week. Why haven't I seen you?"

Richard ruffled his hair. "I've been super busy, son. But I promise next time I'll see you first thing."

The Kents made their way inside, hanging their jackets on the rack. The house was permeated with the combinations of steak, potatoes, and fresh vegetables. Jason's mouth watered. He was just about to head into the kitchen when a rather attractive woman stepped into the hall. Her long red hair cascaded over a dark green blouse that brought out the emerald color of her eyes. Patting her hands against the side of her jeans, the woman sent Jason a dazzling smile.

Richard made the introductions. "Ahhh, the lady of the hour! Jason, I'd like you to meet my wife, Lana."

Jason's jaw dropped. "You got married?" he asked, rounding on his other father.

Richard grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, it all happened so fast. The woman put me under a spell and when I woke up, we were in the same bed with rings on our fingers."

"Okay, TMI but, seriously, why didn't you invite us?" Jason demanded.

"It was a quiet wedding," Lana said. "It's mostly my fault. I didn't want the pomp and circumstance."

"Not to mention we were in England," Richard said.

"We could have caught a flight over," Jason retorted.

He was making a big deal out of this but the truth was he was hurt. Richard was practically family and he'd gone behind everyone's back and married some woman none of them knew. How could he do something like that?

Clark rested a hand on Jason's shoulder. "Son, Richard's old enough to make his own decisions. Besides, Lana's always wanted a quiet wedding."

Jason scrunched his eyebrows. "How do you know that?"

"Because we dated each other our whole senior year."

That was unexpected. Jason looked from Lana to his dad to Richard and back again. "Let me get this straight," he muttered. "Richard ends up marrying your ex and you end up marrying his ex. Does anyone else find that a little weird?"

The adults chuckled.

"I'll admit, it's out of the ordinary but somehow it all worked out and everyone's happy," Lois said.

"That might not be true, Lois," Richard said. "Are you happy, Jason?"

Jason looked at him and then at Lana. It was obvious that she was nervous about this whole exchange. He was sure that Richard had told her all about him. Lana seemed like a nice person. Heck, his dad had dated her his whole senior year! And Dad was always a good judge of character; he didn't just date any girl either. A thought occurred to him. Did Lana know? He glanced at his dad who seemed to understand the silent question. He shook his head a fraction of a second. Jason frowned. His dad hadn't trusted her with the secret but he'd trusted his mom. Then again, Jason wouldn't have told every girl he dated that his dad was Superman. It had to be the right girl, the one he knew he would marry.

Then he thought about Richard, who obviously had similar taste in women that his dad did. Richard was no fool. He knew that the woman he would end up marrying would not only be a second mother to Jason but would also have to be introduced to the secret side of the Kent family. He would have made his choice carefully, Jason was sure. And it helped that Lana already knew his dad. Coming to a decision, Jason grinned. "If you're happy Richard then that's good enough for me."

The tension in the room lessened and Lana seemed to sigh in relief. "I look forward to getting to know you, Jason," she said with a sweet smile. "You're the spitting image of your father, minus a couple inches."

"How long have you known each other?" Jason asked, following Lana and Richard into the kitchen.

"Since grade school," Lana responded with a laugh. "I got to see all of Clark's awkward stages."

Clark grimaced. "Do you mind if we skip the details? I'd rather not relive the nightmare."

Lana giggled and then winked at Jason. "Maybe another time, when your dad's not around."

Jason grinned. He loved hearing stories about how his dad grew up. It was fascinating after all. He'd had to learn about his powers on his own and keep them a secret from everyone. Jason didn't know what he would have done if he didn't have his dad there to calm him every time he broke something as a kid. Then there was the time he'd sliced his hand with a knife in the kitchen and didn't draw blood; only a bruise had formed. That had happened a few weeks ago, indicating that invulnerability was developing. Clark said he'd never received bruises when he'd come across blades but since Jason was only half Kryptonian, they were prepared for differences (like his super hearing being only half as strong as his dad's). It made things interesting but so far only their super strength had been equal.

Jason was pulled from his thoughts when a third person entered the room. It took everything he had not to let his jaw hit the floor. Standing in Richard's kitchen was Thora, the new girl from Smallville. Her hair was tied in a braid on the side of her head, cascading over a bright red shirt. She wore denim jeans with a few holes ripped across the thighs and above the leg. Her almond shaped eyes were actually a little larger than he'd first thought and their bluish hue was comparable to the bluest sky. She was drop dead gorgeous and it took every ounce of his intelligence not to stutter like an idiot.

"Jason, this is Thora," Richard said. "She's staying with us for a while."

Thora eyed Jason with the exact same shock as he eyed her. She didn't know that Lois Lane was Jason Kent's mother. Their last names were different after all. Jason's unruly black hair and stunning blue eyes really went well with that distinguished jawline of his. He was tall, five ten perhaps, and his half framed silver glasses flashed as he pushed them up the bridge of his slender nose with a long finger. The clothes he wore weren't baggy like the ones he'd been wearing out on the football field yesterday. His blue plaid shirt hung over a white tee. Blue jeans fit comfortably over his long legs. It took all of Thora's concentration not to focus on his biceps; the kid hid them well though she couldn't understand why. Everyone at school was completely blind. Dick Grayson may be attractive but Jason was irresistable.

"Hi," Thora managed to say, extending a hand. "I'm Thora."

"Jason," he responded, taking her hand.

Immediately an electric current rushed up both their arms and they pulled away, staring at each other. Clark shook Thora's hand and Lois gave her a hug, breaking the brief connection.

"It's good to see you again, Thora," Lois said. "I'm glad to see that Richard hasn't starved you to death. I assume that's only because Lana's been the one cooking."

"If she had been living with you, Lois, she would have died in the first twenty four hours," Richard teased.

"Wait, mom, you've met Thora before?" Jason asked.

"We both have," Clark said. "She came by the office with Lana a few days ago."

"Wait, so you knew that Richard had gotten married? How come you didn't tell me?" Jason inquired.

"We wanted to tell you in person," Richard said.

Jason sighed. "I guess that's fair."

Thora was watching him silently and when Jason caught her eye, that electric current seemed to return.

"Alright, dinner's ready and I think it's time to eat!" Richard said, pounding Jason on the shoulder, disrupting the connection again.

Dinner conversation mainly focused on the variety of stories the Daily Planet was chasing down since there were three reporters sitting at the table. Lois was in the middle of explaining how she'd practically arm wrestled a cop into spilling information about the most recent political attack on the senator when Clark cleared his throat. "I'm sorry but may I be excused?"

"Sure," Richard said.

"Thank you."

Clark stood up and left the room in a hurry. Thora seemed surprised that he would interrupt his wife when she was in the middle of talking but Lois didn't appear offended so she decided to drop it. Lois picked up right where she left off, as if no interruption had been made. Clark didn't reappear until everyone was halfway through dessert.

"Where did you run off to?" Lana asked.

"I got a text from a source that I had to meet. I've been trying to get hold of them for a week and the information they had to give is crucial to the story I'm working on."

"What story is that?" Thora asked.

"Drug dealers," Clark answered. "Originally they were only doing business in Gotham but they've been extending their outposts in Metropolis for the past few weeks. There's rumors that they're trying to smuggle in more than just drugs though. That's why Perry wanted me to look into it."

"What do you think the other thing is," Jason asked.

Clark's expression darkened. "Radioactive explosives."

Lois's hand automatically shot out to grip her husband's. "What kind of radiation?" she demanded.

Clark looked at her. Though he was hiding it very well, Lois had been with him long enough to know when he'd just come back from dealing with kryptonite. He looked pale and ragged, like he was about to come down with a cold. Lois squeezed his hand, silently asking if he was okay. He responded in kind. Sighing, he answered, "I'm afraid it's kryptonite."

There was an audible gasp from everyone except Thora. "What's kryptonite?" she asked, completely baffled.

The Kents looked at her like she'd spoken a foreign language. Feeling like she was missing something that she obviously should know, Thora fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Kryptonite is the only thing that can hurt Superman," Lana explained to her.

"Really?" Thora asked, intrigued.

"It's radioactive pieces of his home world," Lois said, suddenly remembering that Richard had explained Thora was suffering from short term memory loss. "It's deadly to him but not to humans."

"But I thought you told me his planet was destroyed," Thora said, looking at Lana.

"It was but when he arrived here, meteors containing the green rock came with him," Richard anwered. "There's not a whole lot of Kryptonite out there but because it's the only thing that can thwart Superman, villians seek after it like prospectors sought after gold during the California Gold Rush."

"That's awful," Thora muttered. "Why would anyone want to hurt Superman? He obviously only wants to help other people."

It was Jason's turn to answer. "Some people are afraid of him because they don't see the integrity of his heart. They only see his power and therefore consider him a threat."

Thora thought about that for a moment. "I guess that makes sense but I still think those people are being stupid."

"Agreed," Richard said cheerfully. "Superman's one of the best things that's ever happened to our planet. I'm glad we have him. So, Clark, did you bust the drug dealers?"

Clark had propped his head with his hand and had closed his eyes. Opening them, he looked half asleep. "Um…yeah….called the police…." He mumbled, his eyes sliding shut again.

"Clark, honey, are you okay?" Lois asked, grabbing his hand. She stiffened. His hand was like ice.

"F-Fine," Clark just barely managed to say. "I think I just need some air."

For a five foot six woman, Lois displayed incredible strength by lifting Clark to his feet. "Come on," she growled. "Let's get you some air, then."

"Sorry," Clark muttered, "I guess it wasn't the best idea to go up against drug dealers."

Lana groaned. "Clark, I thought you would have learned by now not to deal with bullies. Though I admire the size of your heart, you've never had the stamina to fight."

"Yeah, guess I never learned that one," Clark chuckled heavily as Lois pulled him out the back door.

Thora looked at Jason and suddenly saw what Helen had talked about. It was apparent to her now that Jason had inherited his clumsiness from his father. She was impressed that Clark would try to go up against drug dealers but she had to agree with Lana that he'd been foolish to do so. He should have just waited for the police. Thora was sure that Jason was the same way, desirous to fight for what he thought was right but probably clumsy enough to receive more bruises than punches.

"Is he going to be alright?" she asked.

Jason seemed shaken up. "I think so," he muttered.

"Of course he will be," Richard said with confidence. "Clark may be a push over but the man has a remarkable ability to recover in a short period of time."

"I'll agree with you there," Lana said. "Growing up he got hurt a lot but he did manage to recover faster than anybody else I knew. I'm sure he'll be fine in a few hours."

Meanwhile, outside, Lois dragged Clark into a secluded spot where anyone looking from the house wouldn't be able to spot them. "What on earth were you thinking?" she demanded.

"I didn't realize they had it on them until it was too late," Clark answered, slumping into a lawn chair. He had no strength whatsoever. His brain seemed to process things slower than normal and his head rolled forward onto his chest.

"Clark!"

"I'm awake," he muttered.

"Were you alone?" Lois asked.

"Yes, but I managed to get away before I lost all my strength," he answered, his words slightly slurred.

Lois looked up into the night sky and cursed. "Why is it that every time you get exposed to kryptonite, the sun is nowhere to be found?!"

Clark didn't respond. Lois looked down and noticed blood coming from his shirt. Ripping it open, she cried out in dismay. Those stupid drug dealers didn't just have chunks of kryptonite. They'd made it into knives. Slashes covered Clark's chest and upper arms. The only reason he hadn't returned covered in blood was because the wounds weren't very deep. Lois yanked out her cell phone.

"Lois, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Cut the crap, Hal," Lois half shouted. "Get yourself over to Richard's now! Clark's hurt!"

"How bad?"

Lois jumped from the change in voice. Apparently Hal was in a Justice meeting because Batman had stolen the phone.

"Bruce, he's bleeding," Lois cried. "He needs sunlight! Some thugs he was trying to take care of pulled out kryptonite. He managed to get back here to Richard's but now he's unconscious."

"Hal and Diana are on their way," Bruce said. "Lois, calm down."

"I am calm," Lois snapped. "It's not like I haven't gone through this before. Believe me, Bruce, you'll know when I lose it."

"They should be there in two minutes," Bruce assured.

"Fine," Lois said before hanging up. She grasped Clark's hand and squeezed. "Come on, Smallville," she muttered. "We were going to tell Lana the truth tonight and then you had to go and get involved with kryptonite. Sometimes I think we have the worst luck."

Just then Green Lantern and Wonder Woman swooped down from the sky. "We'll take care of him," Wonder Woman assured her as Green Lantern encased Clark in a green ball of energy.

Lois nodded. "His injuries aren't too bad. He probably only needs to be in direct sunlight for about an hour. I can keep my family at bay for that long."

Wonder Woman nodded before following after Green Lantern who had already taken to the sky with Clark. Lois watched them go and sighed with a sad smile. "You'd better recover in an hour, Smallville. You made a promise that you'd make tonight worthwhile. I might just have a surprise for you too," she whispered, knowing that even though he was unconscious he could still hear her. Deciding it was best to remain outside to fool Lana and Thora into thinking she was spending time with Clark, Lois propped herself on the lawn chair and stared up at the sky, drinking in the stars.

Green Lantern and Wonder Woman were out of Earth's atmosphere in minutes. Flying towards the sun, they positioned Clark directly in front of it. Green Lantern lowered his hand and the green energy around Clark dispersed, exposing him directly to the sun's rays. The cuts across his bare chest healed instantly, leaving trails of dried blood. His complexion was still pale and he remained unconscious but it was obvious that he was on the mend.

"He should have called," Green Lantern muttered as they hovered close by.

"You and I both know that's not how Superman works," Wonder Woman responded. "Besides, according to Lois he thought he was just taking care of a couple thugs. Normally petty criminals don't carry around kryptonite blades."

"This has Luthor written all over it," Green Lantern said darkly. "He's the only one who dares attack Superman with kryptonite weapons."

"He's also the only one of the few villains who could have them made," Wonder Woman pointed out. "He's been quiet for several months. I guess it's time for him to strike out again."

"How's he doing?" Batman's voice suddenly came in through the communicator in Wonder Woman and Green Lantern's ears, interrupting them.

Wonder Woman filled him in on Clark's progress and then shared their suspicions about Luthor.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Batman growled. "We'll have to find out where Clark was attacked. It will be the start of the trail that will lead us to where that maniac is hiding."

"We'll be sure to ask him as soon as he wakes up," Green Lantern promised.

"We're bringing Watch Tower over to you," Batman said. "We should reach your location in about half an hour."

Wonder Woman and Green Lantern looked over at Clark again. In the last five minutes his chalky skin had regained a little more color. If Lois was right, he was sure to be as right as rain in forty minutes. Watch Tower appeared at the appointed time and the other heroes looked on through the windows at their colleague and friend. No matter how many of them denied it, it still shook them to see the Man of Steel helpless. Superman needing this kind of recovery didn't happen very often. They'd learned that when he was in critical condition his heartbeat slowed to one beat every thirty minutes, his body going into some kind of catatonic state. When he reached this stage, he usually didn't regain consciousness until a month later. The first time it had happened, they'd all thought he'd died. There had even been a funeral. It was quite a shock when he came back but after explaining things to them, they were prepared if it should ever happen again. This injury wasn't critical but it had taken it's toll on him.

Another ten minutes went by and then Clark opened his eyes. Glancing around, he saw his colleagues, both the ones in Watch Tower and the two ten paces away. He grinned guiltily at them. "I didn't know they'd have kryptonite," he said.

Green Lantern grinned. "We're just grateful you got back to your wife before collapsing. If she hadn't called, you probably would have had to take longer to recover."

"Thank you," Clark replied. He spun really fast and in the blink of an eye was in his suit.

"That never gets old," Flash's voice said through the communicator in Superman's ear. "You okay big guy?"

"Now I am," Superman admitted.

"We need to get the details on what happened," Batman said, getting down to business now that he knew his best friend was okay.

Superman gave them a quick update since he was sorely needed back home. Batman warned him not to go chasing after the drug dealers alone since they were as much his problem as they were Superman's. Superman assured him he'd call for back up before flying towards Earth, hitting supersonic speeds as he entered its atmosphere.

Lois had been outside for a little over an hour. If Clark didn't get back soon, she'd have to make up some lie that she ended up taking him to the hospital. Just when she was thinking she'd have to do such a thing, Superman touched down in the yard. Lois ran up to him and kissed him full on the mouth.

"You're late," she said.

"The League wanted details," Superman responded with the grin she dearly loved. Stepping away from her for a moment, Superman spun on his heel and changed back into civilian clothes. "Shall we go inside?" Clark asked, holding out his arm.

"One second there, Smallville," Lois said, reaching into his pocket to pull out his glasses. "There you are," she said with a fond smile.

Clark grinned. Lois surprised him by leaping into his arms, kissing him with a deep longing. "I'm glad you're okay, Clark," she whispered against his lips.

"I'm glad I can always count on you to be here," Clark said. "You ground me, Lois. If I didn't have you, I would have died a long time ago."

"And don't you forget it, Smallville," Lois replied with a grin. "You owe me big time for always being there to save your sorry hide."

Clark grinned mischievously, pulling her close. "I think I have a way to display my thanks," he whispered huskily into her ear. "But you'll have to be patient and wait for when the timing is right."

Lois pulled away. "That's cruel. But I suppose I can wait. Come on, let's get back inside. The sooner we can get back home, the better."

Clark grinned, allowing her to drag him back toward's Richard's house, thinking that the evening couldn't come fast enough.


	7. Surprises

7: Surprises

Clark paused before they reentered the house.

"What is it?" Lois asked, wondering if he was hearing an accident far away.

"Jason's not inside," Clark said. "He's about three blocks away."

"Is he alone?"

Clark listened more carefully. "No. There's a second heartbeat. I'm not entirely sure who it belongs to but both theirs and Jason's are calm."

"I wonder who he's with," Lois muttered. "Maybe it's Thora."

Clark smiled. "If he is, I approve."

"Me too, even if we don't know who her parents are or where she's from or how old she is," Lois mused. "The girl herself is lovely."

Clark agreed. "And if they're together right now, this is a perfect time to tell Lana the truth."

Lois nodded. "Come on, Smallville. This is going to be interesting."

Slipping her small hand in his, Lois guided Clark inside. Sure enough, they found Jason and Thora missing with Richard and Lana sitting on the couch watching the news. Both looked up when they came in.

"Clark, you look a lot better," Lana said. "The fresh air really helped, huh?"

"Sure did," Clark agreed.

"Thora and Jason went for a walk," Richard revealed, wiggling his eyebrows slightly.

Lois smirked. "Hopefully they keep it G rated for now."

"Lois!" Clark gasped, while Richard let out a bark of laughter. "You know Jason would never do something he shouldn't! We raised him better than that."

"I don't know," Lois sighed sarcastically, "they were practically oggling each other over dinner."

Lana nodded. "I noticed that. I'm glad. Thora's a good girl and Jason is a great kid. If anything does happen, I approve."

All adults seemed to agree. Richard caught Clark's eye and Clark had the impression that the man had something on his mind. "Can I talk to you for a second, Clark?" Richard asked casually.

Clark shrugged. "Sure."

"We'll be right back, ladies," Richard said cheerfully as he got up and motioned for Clark to follow him to his study. Once inside, Richard shut the door and let his tense shoulders fall. Clark distinctly heard his heartbeat pick up as he turned to look him in the eye. "First off, Clark, I really want to thank you for putting so much trust in me with your secret," Richard said quickly and all of a sudden Clark knew exactly what this talk was about.

"Richard," Clark said, interrupting him, "it's okay."

"Huh?"

"You want to tell Lana the truth, right?"

Richard's mouth dropped. "Y-Yeah…but, how did you know?"

Clark grinned. "Believe me, I know how hard it is to keep a secret from the one you love the most. I tried and it was beyond miserable. Besides, I don't expect you to keep a secret about me from your wife. It would be absolutely cruel for Lana to be Jason's second mother and have no idea who he really was."

"So you're okay with telling her?" Richard asked in amazement.

"Of course. And of all people, I'm glad it's Lana. Knowing the secret is going to clear up a whole lot of things about our childhood."

"Can I asked you something?" Richard asked.

"Sure."

"If you were so unwilling to tell Lana the truth before, why tell her now?"

Clark put a hand to his chin, thinking. "You know, honestly, I think it was because deep down I knew that Lana wouldn't be able to handle being with me. It's one thing to know the truth but living with it every day…. I don't know if you've noticed but Lana doesn't like to share things that belong to her."

Richard grinned. Oh, he'd noticed all right. After attending one of her fashion shows and having other models flirting with him, Richard could have sworn there was fire leaping out of Lana's mouth when she chased the girls away. The rest of the day she'd spent holding his hand, keeping him constantly in her sight. No, she wouldn't have been able to live with Clark in a serious relationship. That was the one thing Richard admired about Lois the most: her willingness to share her husband on demand with the rest of the world.

"Also," Clark said, "Lois and I made the choice a long time ago that we would share the secret with whoever you got married to."

"Really?"

Clark nodded, smiling. "Like I said, it wouldn't be fitting to keep Jason's second mother in the dark."

Richard grinned. "Thank you, Clark. You have no idea how stressed out I've been over this."

Clark laughed. "Oh, I think I have an idea. We should probably go out and explain before Thora shows up. I may like her but I'm not willing to share this with her just yet."

"I understand," Richard said kindly. "Boy, is Lana in for a surprise."

Clark grinned. "Just in case, have 911 on speed dial."

Richard laughed before both men exited the study and made their way back into the living room where they found Lois and Lana sipping coffee. Richard sat down next to his wife and put his arm around her. Clark checked for Jason's heartbeat again. He was still three blocks away. They must be sitting down somewhere. Picking up the TV remote, Clark asked, "Mind if I turn this off? There's something I think Lana should know."

The redhead raised a thin eyebrow but nodded. "Sure, Clark. What is it?"

Richard squeezed Lana's shoulders. Lois put on a supportive smile and nodded to her husband. Clark returned the gesture before standing up. "Lana, what I'm about to show you will probably cause our childhood to make a whole lot of sense."

That caught Lana's attention. She'd always known there was something different about Clark. She also knew that he was hiding something from her while they were dating. What was it? And why was he suddenly so open to sharing?

Clark suddenly straightened, his height increasing, his shoulders broadening. Reaching up, he took his glasses off and then, he spun on his heel. Lana's eyes watered as her childhood friend became a blur of red and blue. When the small tornado disappeared, Superman stood in her livingroom. Lana's jaw hit the floor. It was the eyes that confirmed it to her. How did she not notice it before?! Everything about their childhood suddenly made sense. The meteor shower when she was three, all those times when there were miraculous saves in Smallville, the strange way Clark seemed to disappear in the middle of school; it all became clear to Lana in a miraculous five second revelation. Clark Kent was Superman. She'd grown up with _Superman!_

"That explains a lot," Lana exhaled; she hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath.

Superman grinned sheepishly at her; what an odd expression for the Man of Steel!

"All this time," Lana muttered, "And nobody figured it out."

Superman sat down, casually leaning into the armchair near the fireplace. "Well, it's not something that I like to advertize about myself."

Lana snorted. "Obviously. So, all those years ago, that meteor shower-"

"Was me entering Earth's atmosphere," Superman finished. "Martha and Jonathan Kent found me in a field and thankfully decided to raise me as their own son instead of alerting the US Government. They kept expecting someone from the government to come calling but nobody did."

Lana shook her head. "This is…incredible. Clark Kent is Superman. Nobody in their right mind would ever guess that! Clark is… well, he's _Clark._ And Superman is practically perfect."

Superman grinned. "Superman is the exact opposite of Clark Kent. However, I'm both of them. The real me is kind of a combination of the two, to be honest. I think to be accurate, who I really am is Clark Kent without the blunders along with Superman's powers."

"Do you have a name for who you really are?" Lana asked.

"Kal El," Superman responded, "although only Lois calls me that."

Lois grinned. "And it's only when we're alone, Smallville."

Lana watched as Superman suddenly blushed; it too was a strange sight. Richard laughed and squeezed her shoulders. "Now you know the truth, love."

"How come you know?" Lana asked, eyeing her husband.

"Well, it mostly was because I broke off the engagement with Lois when I realized she still loved Superman."

"And it didn't make any sense when I suddenly started getting serious with Clark and told everyone in the Daily Planet that Jason was his son," Lois said.

"Seriously," Richard sighed, "imagine my shock when she stalked over to Clark's desk, grabbed his tie, and yanked him into a full-blown kiss! I couldn't believe she would cheat on Superman like that. I knew Jason was really Superman's son because Lois told me how when they were on Luthor's yacht, he'd thrown a piano at one of the thugs to stop them from hurting his mom. Therefore, it made no sense to me when she told everyone Jason was Clark's. I'd known about Clark's infactuation with Lois long before I'd even met the guy. I thought it cruel that Lois would suddenly lead him on when it was blatently obvious to me that her heart really belonged to the caped wonder."

"So he pulled me into his office to demand and explanation," Lois cut in. "And he was in the middle of accusing me of being fickle when Clark interrupted."

"I had to," Clark said. "It was the only reasonable option to tell Richard the truth when it was clear he was still going to be part of Jason's life. Knowing Jason's secret only made it apparent that he needed to know Superman's as well. So I closed the blinds to Richard's office, made sure the door was locked tight, and told him the truth."

Lana stared at all of them. "I married into the ultimate drama," she sighed but she was smiling. "I'm glad I finally know. But, one thing still doesn't make sense."

"What's that, love?" Richard asked.

"If Jason is your son, why didn't you raise him, Clark? Why did you let Richard come into Lois's life?"

Superman's face fell. "That's a long tale."

"And one that Lana deserves to know so she's clear," Lois said sharply. "If she's going to be Jason's second mother she deserves the right to know everything about him."

Superman nodded. "Agreed. Well, it all started back when Lois and I were partners at the Planet. Perry sent us to Niagra Falls on a story where we had to be undercover newly weds."

Lana snorted, causing a soft chuckle from her husband. "I bet that made your day."

Superman grinned. "Oh, yes, I was positively thrilled about the idea. We'd done it before so the routine was fairly believable when we checked in at the hotel where Perry wanted us to get the story. After dropping our bags off at the suite, Lois and I went exploring."

"I'd been having suspicions that Clark was Superman for a few weeks," Lois said, cutting in. "You see, when your partner frequently disappears and suddenly Superman shows up, you tend to put two and two together. Well, I tried a couple times to get him to reveal who he really was by placing myself in danger."

"But I wasn't about to reveal myself in public," Superman said. "Even if Lois jumped into a raging river to try to get me to do so."

"I could have drowned," Lois muttered, rolling her eyes.

"If it had come to that I would have saved you," Superman assured with a smile.

"Yeah, well, after dragging myself out of the river, we went back to the hotel so I could dry off," Lois said. "Then I got a better idea than my rescue attempts. I always carry a gun around, just in case, so at the right opportunity, I fired it right at Clark's chest."

"Are you serious?!" Lana yelped. "What if he hadn't been Superman? You could have killed him!"

"That's what I said," Superman sighed. "Of course, I spoke as Superman while taking off my glasses. That's when Lois told me she'd fired a blank. I should have paid more attention to that but when bullets are not an issue, you tend not to think someone might fire a blank at you."

Lois grinned triumphantly. "I would have figured out a different way for you to tell me the truth if that hadn't worked."

"I would have ended up telling you myself, Lois," Superman said fondly. "It was getting to the point where I didn't want to hide from you anymore. But, regardless, you found out." He turned back to Lana and continued, "So I took Lois to the Fortress of Solitude."

"Where's that?" Lana asked.

"Somewhere in the Arctic," Richard said. "The only people that know where it is are Superman, Lois, and Lex Luthor."

Lana looked at him in alarm. "Lex Luthor knows where it is? Isn't that dangerous?"

"It was," Superman sighed. "But I've made some serious modifications so that any human that attempts to enter will be sorry they even tried."

Lana shuddered from the seriousness in his tone. "I'll be sure never to go there."

"Oh, if you're with me I can override the system so you can enter," Superman assured, "but due to previous events I have found it better not to let humans enter that place. It isn't really meant for your race. The Fortress of Solitude's main purpose is to educate me."

"And to give you a piece of your home," Lois added.

Superman shrugged. "Earth is more my home than Krypton. I was a baby when my planet was destroyed. Earth is the only place I've truly known."

"Guys, get back to the story," Richard interjected.

"Right," Superman muttered, rearranging his thoughts. "So, I took Lois to the Fortress. One thing about the Fortress you should know, Lana, is that my father's artificial intelligence is there. He's more like a memory of my real father, having all his memories and knowledge of my home world. Anyway, I told him that I wanted to be with Lois, and he told me that the only way that would be possible was if I became one of you. Well, it wasn't a hard choice for me to make since I already knew I loved Lois more than life itself so I gave up my powers."

"Stupidest thing you could ever do," Lois muttered, her eyes suddenly misty. "I wasn't worth it."

Superman smiled. "You'll always be worth it to me, Lois."

"You really gave up your powers?" Lana asked, eyes wide.

Superman nodded.

Lana leaned back and looked between Lois and Superman. The love they had for each other was something anyone would envy. He was Superman after all! And he gave up his powers to be with Lois Lane, someone not even of his own race. If that wasn't love, Lana didn't know what was. "But, if you lost your powers, how do you have them now?"

"I was getting to that," Superman said quietly, somewhat lost in memories. "Do you remember General Zod?"

Lana's expression darkened. "He's kind of hard to forget."

Superman smiled sadly. "Well, he and his two followers arrived the same time I gave up my powers to be with Lois." Superman cleared his throat, suddenly looking down at his boots. "While Lois and I were…enjoying each other's company… Zod began trying to take over the world."

Lana got the hidden meaning beneath his words. She looked over at Lois and couldn't help but smirk. "So you really did spend the night with Superman after all."

Richard let out a bark of laughter. Lois held her head high. "You bet I did," she said proudly. "And I enjoyed every minute of it. And if you must know, it was that very night that resulted in Jason coming to be."

"And what a night it was," Superman mused, grinning sheepishly. "But after we left the Fortress and got into town, we found out in a local diner that Zod was demanding the world to surrender to his will. I realized that due to my personal desires, I had left the world to be slaughtered. I decided to go back to the fortress and see if my father would restore my abilities so that I could defeat the invaders. He thankfully did and I defeated the three Kryptonians by luring them back to the fortress and stripping them of their powers. After the encounter, I returned to the Daily Planet. Now that the world was safe, things had gone back to normal with the exception that Lois new the truth."

"And the one time I displayed any sign of jealously," Lois muttered, "Clark did the unthinkable."

"And you know it's my biggest regret," Superman whispered, his voice filled with guilt.

Lois smiled sadly. "I know. I just wish that you could have realized I was just stressed."

"I didn't know how to handle the situation," Superman sighed. "All I could see was all of Lois' pain in knowing that she could never have me all to herself. She felt that she was a distraction to me and I now know that was because my father, Jor El, had rejected her in the first place. He was the one that said it would be impossible to have it both ways. Lois and I were torn because we believed him. She didn't think it was right to remain with me and I couldn't imagine not having her in my life. I realized that I had been reasonably happy the way things had been before she knew the truth and if it came down to that, I would be willing to go back to that lifestyle where she didn't know who I really was. At least that way I could still have her be part of my life."

Lois sighed sadly. "And so he kissed me and erased all my memories of the truth about him. Stupid amnesia kiss; it did more damage than always knowing the truth."

"You can erase memories?" Lana asked, flabbergast.

"It's an ability that I didn't know I had nor am I ever going to use again. Frankly, I don't know how to use it and I don't plan on exploring learning how to either. It was a one time thing and like I said before, it was and still is my biggest regret. My second biggest regret is leaving shortly after that."

"Oh yeah, when you left for five years!" Lana muttered, remembering. "Why did you leave?"

"Heartache, to be honest," Superman responded. "Although it an excuse to leave helped when scientists revealed that they might have found Krypton. I already couldn't stand being around Lois because she didn't remember anything. Knowing that she had once known the truth and was now ignorant was harder to accept than dealing with concealing the secret from her in the first place. Seeing her still obviously in love with Superman and happily working with Clark Kent, having to keep both identities separate, never being able to get physically close to her in either form, became too much. So I made the decision to travel to Krypton."

"And shortly after the Man of Steel disappeared," Lois interjected, "I found out I was pregnant. Imagine my absolute shock when I found that out! Because, truth be told, I hadn't been seeing anyone since I had met Superman. I had no way to explain to people that I was pregnant. I even had thoughts that someone had kidnapped me, drugged me up, had some fun, and dumped me back in my apartment. It seemed pretty reasonable since I was a wreck after Superman disappeared. Those were dark days." She shuddered. "When it finally became apparent that I was pregnant, people demanded to know who the father was. I made up this story that I had a one time fling with someone while out of town. People asked why I hadn't already gotten an abortion. The honest answer was I had a strong feeling that I needed to have the child. I followed that feeling even though I was terrifed. I'd never wanted to be a mother and now here I was, pregnant with someone's kid, and well on my way to having another mouth to feed. But when Jason was born and I saw those eyes, my fears died at once. I knew those eyes. All the times I'd stared into them, dreamt of them, longed to see them again; they were Superman's eyes. I didn't know how it was possible, but it was undeniable to me who Jason's father really was. No human has that kind of blue colored of eyes.

"Jason gave me a purpose again. If I could never have Superman in my life, if he was never going to come back, at least I had his son. That was the greatest gift I could ever have been given. So I raised him, loved him, and secretly longed for his father to return because I had no idea how I would answer Jason when he was old enough to ask where his father was. After Jason turned two, Richard started working at the Daily Planet and we started going out. He was a good man and accepted Jason right off the bat and Jason accepted him. Things got serious and Richard proposed but I didn't want to get married so I stalled the engagement."

"That was because you were still harboring the hope that a certain tall, dark, and handsome superhero would reappear," Richard chimed in warmly.

"You're right about that," Lois admitted, eyeing Superman with a smile. The hero again held a guilty expression. "And after five years, he did show up. Returning in the most dramatic way possible, saving me from a falling aircraft."

"That does seem to be the only way we meet up, isn't it?" Superman said with a small smile, thinking back on the first time they'd met; he'd saved her from falling out of a helicopter on the Daily Planet roof.

"We'll, you know the rest of the story," Superman said to Lana. "I stopped Luthor, ended up in the hospital, Lois told me the truth about Jason, after I recovered I told her about the amnesia kiss, Richard broke off the engagement, Lois and Clark started dating and eventually got married. Jor El wasn't too pleased about that last bit but he's accepted it. The rest is history."

Lana stared, trying to take everything in. "And now I'm part of the family," she muttered.

"Yep!" Richard said, squeezing her again. "Welcome to the Kent funny farm!"

Everyone laughed.

Superman looked at Lana seriously. "Would you be willing to keep the secret, Lana? I know it's a big responsibility."

Lana grinned. "If I said no, you'd have to kiss me and I don't think Lois would like that very much."

"Darn right I wouldn't," Lois growled with a small chuckle.

"Then I guess the only option is to say yes," Lana replied with a fond smile. "I'd be honored to do so, Clark, I mean, Superman."

Superman smiled. "Thank you."

Lana looked at Richard. "Don't tell me you're a superhero in disguise."

Richard laughed. "Believe me, love, you'd know. I'm definitely not a superhero. Besides, even if I wanted to be, you wouldn't share me."

Lana grinned. "You've got that right," she said before kissing him. Turning back to Superman, she asked, "So do we get to know who the Justice League are?"

Superman chuckled. "I'm afraid not. Only direct spouses can know and seeing as I'm the only one who's married that makes Lois the only person on Earth who knows the secret identity of everyone on the team."

Lana's eyebrows raised. "For a reporter, your sitting on a gold mine that's never going to be printed."

"I know," Lois sighed. "It's the one set back in my marriage."

Superman grinned. "We all appreciate the privacy, dear."

"And I appreciate the blackmail," Lois replied with an evil grin. "Any time I need something from the League I can get it. Oh, the power!"

Superman suddenly stood up and twirled around. After a whirl of color, Clark Kent was found sitting in the arm chair. Everyone gave him questioning looks but before he even responded, the door clicked open, signifying that Jason and Thora had come home at last.

"Super hearing is so cool," Richard muttered to Lana. His wife merely chuckled, silently agreeing with him.

o0o0o

Since his mom and dad were incognito, Jason decided to pluck up his courage. Shortly after the table had been cleared, he approached Thora. "Um, would you like to go on a walk with me?" Jason asked, trying hard not to stammer.

Thora's eyes brightened. "Sure. I like walks."

Richard and Lana shared a smile. "Just make sure you stick on the main roads," Richard said.

"We will," the two teens chorused before heading out the door.

The air was crisp with a slight breeze, gently moving the autumn leaves on the ground and trees. Jason stuffed his hands into his hoodie while Thora buttoned up her blue peacoat before doing the same. They made their way down the road in silence for a few moments, both trying to find a way to strike up a conversation. After they came to the first crossroads and had to wait for a light, Jason turned to her and asked, "So, how come you didn't know what kryptonite was?"

Thora looked at him and frowned. "I'm sorry, Jason, I forgot you didn't know! I got into some kind of accident and it gave me short term memory loss."

Jason stared. "Are you for real?"

"Yeah," Thora sighed as they crossed the street. "I woke up in a warehouse on the outskirts of the city not knowing where I was, who my parents were, where I came from, how old I am. The only thing I know is that my name is Thora Jane."

"I'm really sorry," Jason muttered sincerely. "So I guess you're not from Smallville?"

Thora laughed. "Not that I know of. That was the cover story Lana and Richard came up with. They figured that if I told the truth to my peers, I'd be the object of ridicule."

Jason nodded. "I'm sure you would have. So, how did you find Richard and Lana?"

"It was more like they found me," Thora said. "When I left the warehouse, I didn't know where I was so I thought I'd head to the city, even though I didn't recognize the place. There were crates all around that had postage to Metropolis from Los Angeles. Weird thing is, I'd never heard of Metropolis."

"Seriously? It's one of the biggest cities in America," Jason said.

"That's what everyone tells me," Thora sighed. "But the fact remains, I have no memory of it."

"But you've heard of LA?"

"Yeah."

"Weird."

"I know. Anyway, I got to the city and ran into some thugs. They all started to gang up on me. I shut my eyes, terrified of what was going to happen, when there was this sudden gust of wind. I opened my eyes and found those men lying unconscious on the ground. That's when Richard and Lana discovered me and took me to the hospital."

Jason had to stop himself from tripping over his own two feet. That girl he'd rescued…that was Thora! He stared at her in a whole new light. He was planning on cornering Richard when they got back to ask him about that girl and here she stood right in front of him. For the first time in his life, Jason wanted to shout out his secret, that he had been the gust of wind that knocked out all those guys. Thora didn't seem to notice his sudden change of mood because she kept going. Jason forced himself to listen to her instead of his own thoughts.

"After they took me to the hospital," Thora said, "it was determined that I'd lost my memories. They tried to run some samples to figure out who I am but everything came back negative. They suspected that all my records burned down in a fire but…honestly….part of me wonders if I'm even supposed to exist here. Does that sound weird?" she asked, eyeing Jason worriedly.

Jason shook his head and without thinking grabbed her hand. "I don't think that's true. Of course you're supposed to exist here, Thora. You're here after all."

"I guess," Thora mumbled, looking at her feet. "I just feel out of place. Not knowing who you are really bites."

Jason squeezed her hand and the two suddenly became aware of their intertwined fingers. Jason made to pull away if fear that she'd be upset but Thora tightened her hold.

"Please don't let go," she whispered.

Jason looked up and their blue eyes locked. From her expression, Jason silently understood that somehow, at this moment, he was like an anchor to her. He imagined Thora in a storm where unknown waves crashed repeatedly over her head and the only thing keeping her in place was him. "Okay," he muttered.

They made their way over to a park bench and sat down, staring up at the stars. Though this was Metropolis, this secluded area was one of the few places in the city where the stars were actually visible. Jason liked coming here as a kid. It was the only way he could see the atmosphere without a telescope, not counting the times he went out to Smallville of course.

Thora sighed. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"

"Yeah," Jason quietly agreed.

"Do you ever wish that you could catch one?"

Jason looked at her. Her expression was melencoly. There was pain behind those sky blue eyes. Jason squeezed her hand causing her to break away from the sky to look at him. "You okay?"

"Yes," she said, smiling slightly. "Jason, can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"This is the first time since I've woken up that I feel completely relaxed. Being here, with you, I'm not stressed at all."

Jason could tell she was being honest. His stomach did a little flip. "Well, I'm glad," he muttered.

"You're the first person I've met that's done this to me. Are you a magician?" she teased.

Jason grinned. "Not that I know of. But I honestly feel the same way about not being stressed around you. This is peaceful," he muttered, holding up their clasped hands.

"Yeah it is." Silence for a moment, then, "Do you think we should head back?"

"Probably," Jason sighed.

Neither of them moved for several minutes. They both didn't want to end the moment. Sitting in the park, with the stars as their only witness, was like another world. It was as if they had left Metropolis and gone to Kansas, where you could go somewhere and not have anyone find you for hours. It was wondrous. Jason finally took it upon himself to end the spell. It was a school night and it was getting late.

"Come on," he said, standing up. "Let's go."

They didn't stop holding hands, however. Thora seemed to walk closer to Jason than before. They headed back to Richard's house in silence, not needing words, just the comfort of each other's company. Thora came to a stop when they reached the driveway.

"Jason?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for listening," she muttered.

"No problem," he said with a smile. Squeezing her hand gently, he led the way up to the house.

"Hey, where did you two run off to?" Lois asked, standing up to give her son a hug.

"To the park," Jason answered.

"Of course," his mother said with a smile. "You loved going there as a kid. It's the only place you can really see the stars."

"Mr. Kent," Thora said, seeing Clark sitting comfortably next to the fireplace. "Are you feeling better?"

Clark nodded. "Much better, thank you. Fresh air does wonders."

More like fresh sunlight, Lana thought to herself. Clark had said he'd run into kryptonite when he'd run off to meet with a 'source'. Now that she knew the truth, she guessed that Clark had gone outside so he could get to the sun. But it was dark. Maybe the Justice League took him up into space. Dismissing the thoughts for now, she turned to the teenagers. "Did you two have a good time?" she asked, looking at Thora.

The young girl blushed slightly as a small smile played across her cheeks. "Yeah, it was nice."

Lana tried to contain her grin. Oh yes, the chemistry between Jason and Thora had heightened. The two were standing closer together but they were being careful not to look into each other's eyes. Lana glanced at Richard who merely sent her a wink, signifying that he'd noticed just as she had.

Lois looked at the clock on the wall. "We'd probably head home. It is a school night after all."

Clark stood up. "I think that's a good idea. We've got to be at the Planet early tomorrow too."

Lois groaned. "Oh yeah, the weekly early morning pep talk Perry always gives to his star reporters. Remind me again why we put up with those?"

"Because as much as you grumble you love them almost as much as you love chasing down a story," her husband relpied, kissing her forehead.

Richard laughed. "Besides, we all know that you have an eternal crush on the old man."

Lois picked up a pillow and threw it at him. "That's gross, Richard! You know it isn't true."

Richard laughed. "It might not be but it's well known that you're practically the Chief's daughter."

Lois shrugged. "I can't help it if the old man fawns over me. I'm a good reporter and that's what he really loves."

Richard and Clark caught each other's eye and snickered.

Lois ignored them and instead shepherded Jason into the hall towards the front door. Thora stepped forward as Lois was putting on her coat. "Um, Mrs. Lane?"

"Yes?" she asked, struggling to get her arms through her sleeves.

"I know it's late but there was something I wanted to talk to you about," Thora said in a rush.

"Is it urgent?"

"Kind of," Thora hedged. "Maybe I can come to the Planet tomorrow to talk to you about it?"

Jason eyed her curiously. What was she hiding?

"Sure," Lois said, buttoning up her jacket. "I can see you sometime after school."

"Actually, I'm not going to school tomorrow," Thora whispered, unable to meet Jason's eyes.

"What? Why?" Jason asked.

"It's complicated," Thora muttered.

Jason looked at Richard who'd just come into the hallway. Richard put his hand on Thora's shoulder. "Lois, it's really important," he said, ignoring Jason's demanding stare.

Lois raised an eyebrow but decided not to question it. When Richard said something was important, she decided to believe him. "Alright," she said. "I'll be free after my meeting."

"Thank you," Thora said, gratefully. Then turning to Jason, she sent him a smile. "Thanks again for tonight."

He looked hurt but nodded. "I'd say see you tomorrow, but I guess that's not going to happen."

Thora flinched alittle at the frostiness of his tone. "I can meet you after,"she said, hopeful.

Jason looked up at her. "Okay," he replied after a moment.

Richard and Lois grinned. "Maybe you can get coffee or something at the Metro Café just outside of the Daily Planet," Lois suggested.

Jason nodded, completely oblivious to the gleeful looks of the adults. "Would that be okay?" he asked, staring at Thora.

She nodded. "Sounds like fun."

Clark cleared his throat. "Alright, well, we'd better be off. We'll see you around."

"See you," Jason called, waving.

"Bye," Thora replied with a small smile.

"Take care, Clark," Lana said.

"Yeah, try to keep him in one piece, Lois," Richard added. "We don't want to have to visit Clark in the hospital because he'd tried and failed to take down any drug dealers."

Clark snorted while Lois gave the thumbs up. "Like that would happen," Clark muttered as the Kents made it down the driveway to Lois' car. Lois merely chuckled in response, slipping her hand through his.

**ReViEw PlEaSe? :)**


	8. Requests

**AN: WOW! Thanks for all the reviews, favoriting, following, and views everyone! You really know how to make a fanfiction author happy! Thank you all for sticking with me! The story's picking up as Thora tries to find out who she belongs to. Should be fun, huh? Don't worry, we'll hear from the Avengers and Loki soon; should be a couple of chapters from now. :) **

8: Requests

Thora sat in Richard's office, swirling back and forth in his tall back leather chair while trying to calm her nerves. She wasn't exactly sure how to start the conversation with Lois Lane about the Justice League. She was terrified of telling her the truth; that she was the one that landed Thomas Adkins in the hospital. Again she shuddered at the thought. Suddenly she wanted her Pikachu pillow or a tall, dark, and handsome young man with silver framed glasses. Thora sighed, her thoughts straying to Jason for the millionth time that morning.

She felt quite ridiculous. It wasn't normal for someone to feel so attached to somebody they'd just met! But Thora couldn't deny that there was some kind of connection between her and Jason. It was strange how from the moment they held hands, she felt like she'd known him her whole life. But it was obvious that he didn't know who she was. Either that or he was trying to pretend he didn't to spare her feelings of guilt for forgetting him. No, that last thought couldn't be right. If there was one thing Thora had picked up on, it was that Jason Kent was very honest. She wondered if he could even tell a lie. Maybe not. But that didn't make a difference to her. He was perfect just the way he was.

Thora sighed and rested her head in her hands. What would Jason think if she told him how she really felt about him, like he was the missing piece to her puzzle? Although, that wouldn't hold much value since her whole life at the moment was a big puzzle full of holes. Thora frowned. She couldn't pass her feelings for Jason as temporary infatuation, of that she was sure, but did she dare tell him that if he disappeared, she was afraid she might shatter? She already felt her life was a pit of eggshells. If one more negative thing happened, she was sure that she would fall right through into some unknown abyss. Closing her eyes, Thora sent up a silent plea that nothing would happen to take Jason away from her.

Just then the door opened and Richard came in. "Hey, are you alright?"

Thora looked up and smiled. "Yeah. I just have a lot on my mind."

Lois was right behind Richard. She sent Thora a warm smile. "So, where would you like to talk?" she asked.

"Some place private," Thora suggested. "I'd rather not be overheard anywhere."

"I'd offer my office but I need it to make international calls on Perry's orders," Richard said.

"That's okay," Lois replied. "I know of another place perfect for private conversation. Come on," she said with a wave of her hand.

Lois would have gone to the roof but that was strictly off limits since it was Clark's secret get away. It wouldn't do to suddenly have the Man of Steel touch down on the Daily Planet roof while she was in the middle of a private conversation with someone. Thora would be sure to ask tons of questions. So instead, Lois led Thora down to the Archives. Since most of the Daily Planet's information went digital ten years ago, people rarely came to the room filled with hardcopies. The only reason why the place still existed was because there were many stories when the Planet first started that hadn't been converted to digital; Perry wanted to keep the classic stuff untouched.

Dead bolting the door, Lois indicated for Thora to sit in one of the chairs at an empty desk. Pulling one up to where the teenager sat, Lois sat down and leaned back. "Alright, what is it that you needed to talk to me about, Thora?"

Thora glanced at the doors. "You're sure nobody is going to come in?"

"I'm sure," Lois said with confidence.

"And they're not going to eavesdrop?"

"Nope."

"Okay," the young blond said, letting out all the breath in her lungs. Straightening, she looked Lois in the eye and said, "Mrs. Lane, I wanted to ask you about the Justice League."

Lois' eyebrows rose. "First off, you can call me Lois and secondly, what would you like to know about them?"

Thora swallowed what felt like a small elephant in her throat. "Okay. I know that it must be weird to have a teenager demanding your time, but the thing is, Lois, I need your help. Richard told me that out of everyone, you have the most knowledge on them."

"Why do you need to know about them?" Lois asked, suddenly very alert. Surely Thora wasn't a spy for the enemy? That would be incredibly low. Even so, this subject demanded that she be on her guard.

"Do you promise that what I'm about to tell you stays between us?" Thora asked.

Lois raised an eyebrow. "I promise."

"That story the other day," Thora muttered, "the one about Thomas Adkins?"

"What about it?"

"I did it," Thora said, her hands suddenly shaking.

Lois gasped. She hadn't been expecting that! "What?!"

"I didn't mean to!" Thora cried, tears pricking her eyes. "He grabbed me and dragged me behind the bleachers. I tried to yell for help but he started to kiss me and then he…he started to touch me…" Thora shuddered. "Panicking, I pushed him and the next thing I knew, he was laying on the ground, fifty feet away from me! I didn't know what to do! I was so freaked out that I ran away!" Thora wiped the tears away from her eyes and then looked at Lois. "Lois, I don't know who my parents are. But normal people can't do what I did. I can only think that maybe I'm related to one of the members of the Justice League. I don't know anything about them except for Superman and you know him the best. Do you think I might be related to him?"

Lois stared at Thora with wide eyes. She could hardly believe what she'd heard. Thora had been the one behind the accident! That kind of strength was definitely superhero material. If it had been her, she would have come to the same conclusion Thora had. She wasn't sure if any other members of the League had a daughter though she knew for a fact that none of them were married. And Superman was obviously out of the question.

Seeing the young girl's distress, Lois took her hand. "It must have been terrifying," she said, comfortingly. A surge of anger rippled through her as she thought of Thomas Adkins. That kid had always been a bad egg. How dare he attack Thora like that! "Thomas shouldn't have done that to you."

"But I shouldn't have done what I did to him!" Thora cried. "I'm scared, Lois. I'm afraid that I'm going to hurt someone else! If Superman hadn't been there Thomas would have died! And it would have been my fault." She choked back tears as she continued, "I had hoped that maybe, if you could tell me more about the Justice League, I could find a way to contact them. Even if none of them turn out to be my parents, maybe they can help me control my power so I don't end up hurting someone else. I don't want to be a killer, Lois."

Lois got out of her chair and put her arms around Thora, who latched onto her and cried. Lois stoked her hair. "Shhh," she muttered. "It's going to be okay. You're not going to hurt anyone, Thora."

"How do you know?" she pleaded.

"It's against your character," Lois said firmly. "You're a good girl. You don't strike me as the type of person out to murder anyone."

"But I lost my memories," Thora countered. "What if I'm really the daughter of a killer?"

Lois grabbed her shoulders and looked her right in the eye. "You're not," she said with finality.

Her conviction was so sure that Thora couldn't help but believe her. Returning to her first thought, she asked, "Then do you think I might be related to a member of the League?"

Seeing that she'd calmed down, Lois released Thora and sat back down. "I'm not entirely sure," she said honestly, "although I know you're not Superman's."

"How?" Thora asked, more curious than suspicious.

Lois smiled. "The man can't hide a thing from me. I know for a fact that even though I'm married, he's still very much in love with me. Superman isn't like humans who tend to flaunt their affections without little thought. No, I think his race is one where when they pick someone, that's the only person they'll ever pursue."

Thora's eyebrows drew together. "I know this is a personal matter but, why didn't you marry him? Lana told me that he loves you."

That was way too close to home. Lois decided to steer out of the dangerous waters. "I'd rather keep that to myself for now," she said sternly but not unkind.

Thora nodded, suddenly feeling sheepish for even asking. "Sorry."

"That's okay," Lois said. "Now, concerning the rest of the League, can I ask if you have any other powers?"

Thora shook her head. "Not that I know of."

"Hmmm." Lois sat back and tapped her chin, thinking. After a moment, she looked at Thora and smiled. "I tell you what, instead of talking about them, would you like to speak to them?"

Thora's eyes widened. "Is that possible?"

Lois laughed. "Of course."

"I…I thought this was beneath them," she confessed.

Lois took Thora's hand. "Thora, the duty of the Justice League is to help people in any way they can and you can bet your life that your case is definitely worthy of their attention. Don't worry about it. I'll get in touch with Superman today and if luck is on our side, you can meet the League tonight."

Thora felt as if the chair she was sitting in was about to swallow her whole. Of all the things she expected when meeting with Lois, she hadn't expected to walk away with a possible appointment with the League in less than twenty four hours. "Are you sure they'll be okay with that?" she asked, nervous. "I don't want to get in the way of them saving the world."

Lois smiled kindly and gave Thora's hand a squeeze. "Thora, you're not a burden. I'm positive the League will be more than willing to help. They're nice people, believe me."

She stood up and Thora mimicked her. After pushing the chairs back under their proper desks, the two women made their way for the exits, both lost in thought. After the elevators opened to the noise of the bullpen, Lois turned to Thora. "So what are you going to do until Jason gets off school?"

Thora felt herself turning red. "Um…well, I kind of thought it would take longer to talk to you," she confessed.

"I've got an idea! How about you look at the articles I've complied on Superman and the other heroes?" Lois said.

Thora's eyes brightened. "That would be wonderful!"

"Come on, you can use Richard's second computer to look them up. He's hardly in his office anyway," Lois muttered. "He always wanders around his side of the bullpen; he hates being cooped up in an office."

Sure enough they found Richard near the back of the International room, looking over one of his reporters shoulders, commenting on their work. Upon noticing his ex and Thora, Richard clapped the reporter on the back and made his way over. "Ladies," he said with a smile, "what brings you to the best section of the Daily Planet?"

Lois snorted. "International is a joke and you know it, Richard."

Richard laughed. "You're just jealous that we get most of the Justice League's stories."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Don't forget who gets those stories."

Richard grinned. "I think Clark's got you beat for this month."

"What?! Since when?" Lois demanded, storming towards Richard's office where the tally board was kept. Richard had come up with it to see which reporter brought in the most JLA stories each month. Most of the time the rivalry was between Lois and Clark; they had become rather competitive over the last year since the board's creation. Last month Lois had won. But as the woman laid eyes on the board, she growled upon seeing that this month, her husband had taken first place. "How did he do that? I turned in the last story!"

Richard chuckled. "He turned one in this morning while you and Thora were busy."

"That little cheater! He waited until I was distracted! I'm going to go over there and-"

"Hey, don't rip his head off!" Richard called as Lois stormed out of International heading over to City. "You would have done the same thing!"

Ignoring him, Lois practically smashed through the glass doors, strolling up the hall, her hair crackling with electricity. "KENT!" she shouted.

"Oh dear," Jimmy muttered. He was hanging out near Clark's desk. "Here comes Hurricane Lane."

Clark didn't look the least bit intimidated to see his wife stalking towards him with daggers in her eyes. Trying to hide his smile, he turned away from his computer. "Hello, Lois."

"Don't you dare 'hello, Lois' me!" she growled. "You submitted another story without telling me?! I thought we had made an agreement to alert each other before we turned in anything to International."

Clark looked up at her through his thick glasses. "Lois, I did alert you."

Lois faltered slightly but caught herself, crossing her arms defiantly. "No you didn't."

"Yes, I did."

"How?"

"A text."

Lois whipped out her phone and stared. Sure enough, there was a message from her husband stating that he was turning in an article about the Justice League stopping a bank robbery yesterday in Star City. She looked up at Clark sourly. "You knew I was busy or else I would have written that report this morning!"

"We were both there," Clark shrugged. "That made the article free game. Besides, we said whoever could type it up first would win fair and square."

Lois growled. "That's still unfair! I was taking care of something important!"

Clark sent her his trademark smile. "So was I. We just had different priorities."

Lois suddenly grabbed Clark's tie and surprised him by yanking him towards her. Kissing him full on the mouth, Lois whispered huskily, "The next story is mine or else." Before Clark could respond, she slammed her lips to his and kissed him forcefully. Breathing heavily, she pushed him away with all her might and stalked off to her desk.

Clark watched her as she went. "I love my wife," he muttered adoringly.

After twenty minutes, Lois had calmed down enough to stand back up and walk over to where her husband sat. "I'm going out for a while," she said.

Clark looked up at her. "Oh? Chasing down a story?"

Lois shook her head and then surprised him with another kiss, this time soft. "I'm going to the roof," she muttered, pulling away. "I'll be back later. And don't you dare steal my lead!" she said with a wink.

Clark raised an eyebrow as he watched her go. Looking back to his computer, he typed up the rest of his article near super-typing speed. Looking at his watch, he noticed it had been five minutes. His phone vibrated. It was a text from Lois. _Hurry up, hero!_ Clark smiled, got up, and rushed to the elevators, pretending he'd just gotten a lead from a source.

After the elevator doors closed, he floated to the top, opened the emergency hatch like usual, replaced it, and flew up the shaft, leaving his work clothes behind. Reaching the roof, he found Lois leaning against the ledge, staring up at the sky.

"You wanted to see me, Mrs. Lane?" he asked in his best Superman voice.

Lois whirled around. "About time. I thought you'd be here sooner."

Superman smiled. "Sorry, I was busy." Lois rolled her eyes, grinning. He joined her by the ledge, facing her with a curious expression. "What is it that you needed?"

Lois stood at her full height, her hazel eyes burning with determination. Superman loved it when she took on this commanding presence. It was a majesty that had captivated him since their first interview. Lois folded her arms and looked him right in the eye, something not many people were brave enough to do. "I need to schedule a meeting with the Justice League tonight."

Superman's eyebrows rose. "That's quite the demand, Mrs. Lane."

"I wouldn't ask for it unless it was a serious matter," Lois stated.

"Would you mind giving me some reason to justify the time you have requested?" Superman asked.

Lois sighed, suddenly looking stressed. She ran her fingers through her unruly hair. "Superman, it's important, okay? Please, I really need to see all of you tonight. Richard's place?"

Superman's brow furrowed. He knew Lois wouldn't ask this unless something was dire. "I'll see what I can do," he said. "But I can't make any promises that they will be willing to come tonight without some type of explanation, especially Batman."

Lois rolled her eyes, her frustration getting the better of her. "If the League doesn't consider my request worthy of their time, I'll find a way to break into Watchtower and deliver my message there. And if you try to stop me, I know how to stop you."

Superman's mouth dropped open. "Are you threatening the League, Mrs. Lane?"

"You darn well know I'm threatening them!" Lois snapped, standing up at her full height. Though she was still a head shorter than him, Superman took a step back. "I'm not going to be set aside like an afterthought. This is a top priority case. And if the League treats it lightly, I have enough information and enough connections to make every deepest darkest secret known not only in the states but in the world."

Superman's eyes widened. Now that threat got his undivided attention. Lois only used that threat when she wanted it clear for the League to meet her. Usually it was to discuss an issue with keeping him from spending more time at home. But that couldn't be the reason this time; the League had kept their word and not overused Superman like they had in the past. No, this issue was something else. Lois had information, information she needed to share with the League.

"Does this have to do with any of our enemies?" Superman asked.

Lois shook her head. "No. But it does have to do with someone's personal wellbeing."

Superman didn't need to hear anymore for now. What she'd given him was enough. "I'll make sure we're all there tonight," he promised. "What time?"

"Seven," Lois replied.

Superman nodded and turned to fly off to Watchtower.

"Superman?"

He paused. "Yes, Mrs. Lane?"

Lois looked left and right before standing on her tiptoes to quickly kiss his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered. "This is really important."

He looked into her lovely hazel eyes and nodded. "I'll see you soon. I'll be heading to the warehouses after I get done with Watchtower." He saw her panicked expression and added, "Batman's coming with me. Don't worry; they're all watching over me since it's apparent that Luthor is behind the drug smuggling."

Lois relaxed. "Okay."

"I'll be back here around four to give you the verdict about tonight," Superman promised.

Lois smiled. "I'll be waiting."

Superman waved at her cheerfully before taking off, flying towards the clouds.

o0o0o

"There had better be a good reason you called this meeting Supes," Flash said. "I was in the middle of a really important conversation."

Green Arrow snorted. "With some chick you're never going to date."

Several League members chuckled as Flash stuck his tongue out at his masked colleague.

"Why did you call us here, Superman?" Wonder Woman asked.

Superman stood up and everyone fell silent. When the hero reached his full height at the head of the table, it commanded everyone's attention. "Lois Lane has requested the League's presence tonight at seven."

Batman's eyes narrowed. "What for?" he growled.

"She wouldn't go into details," Superman answered, "but she did state that it was a matter of someone's personal wellbeing."

That information received several frowns. A few League members shared a glance before staring back at their colleague. Everyone knew that sometimes Superman's wife demanded a meeting to discuss giving the Man of Steel some time off but to discuss someone's personal wellbeing? That was a new one.

"Did she say who it is?" Batman asked.

Superman sighed. "No. But she pulled the ultimate threat."

"You're kidding?!" Flash yelped. "She hasn't pulled that in at least five years!"

"Then this must be serious," Martin Manhunter said.

"I already promised that all of you would be there," Superman said. "Besides, if you don't come to her, she'll come to you. She threatened to find a way to get here and you all know she's capable of doing it."

"Remind me again why you married her?" Aquaman asked.

Superman smiled. "Because I love her," he said simply. "Now, are you all agreed to come tonight?"

Everyone looked at Batman. The dark knight sighed. "Lois has more dirt on me than anyone else. I have no choice but to go."

"What kind of dirt does she have on you, Bats?" Flash asked.

Batman narrowed his eyes. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

Flash tried to laugh it off. "You let her know. Why didn't you get rid of her?"

Batman pointed at Superman. "Best friend's wife," he said gruffly.

Superman smirked. "And if you even touched Lois in a harmful way, I'd snap your neck."

The tone was light but the threat was real. Everyone knew that to mess with Lois Lane would inflict the full wrath of the Kryptonian and that was the last thing anyone wanted.

"I guess it's decided then," Hawkgirl sighed. "Where are we supposed to meet? Your place?"

"No. Richard's," Superman said. "Everyone remember how to get there?" They all nodded. "Good. See you at seven then. Batman, you ready to head out?"

Batman stood up and slinked off. "I'll meet you down there," he growled, disappearing without a backward glance.

"I think I like his other side better," Green Arrow said with a grin. "He's a riot at parties."

"When can I get invited to one of those?" Flash asked.

"When you do something worth a billionaire's attention," Green Arrow responded.

The others laughed before departing for the teleporters that would beam them back to Earth. Superman reached the room that opened out into free airspace. Wonder Woman followed behind him. "Superman, be careful."

Superman looked at her. "Don't worry; Batman's going to be with me every step of the way."

"Even so, the more time you spend down at the docks, the more kryptonite you're exposed to," Wonder Woman said. "It hasn't escaped our attention that you look paler than usual. Maybe you should just let us handle this one."

"Luthor's back in town, Diana. I can't let this slide. He's been hiding for five years. I want to know what he's been up to."

"But every time you get close, his thugs throw out kryptonite weapons. We've had to drag you back to the sun more times in the last week than all the days I've known you. Clark, we joined up as a team to help each other. Luthor's as much a threat to us as he is to you. Let us take over this one. You need to rest."

Superman frowned at her. He knew she was right and it aggravated him to no end that she was. He sighed. "Alright. Let me do this last run with Batman then I'll back off."

Wonder Woman smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you. Call if you need help getting up to the sun."

Superman nodded and then remembered, "Diana?"

"Yes?"

"How are things between you and Batman?"

Diana blushed deeply. "Quite well, thank you."

Superman smiled. "I'm happy for you two. I'll see you tonight."

"Be careful," she called as he took off, heading back to Earth.


	9. The League

**AN: Hi everyone! I am so sorry it's taken a while for me to update! I've been pulling in a lot of hours at work and finally I found a moment to get to this today. So, there have been several people asking how long Thora has been in the DC universe. I can tell you this story, I believe, is only going to span a timeline of a couple of weeks. Also, there have been questions about Thora's fighting ability. Since she was raised by Thor, she was trained the same as he was since she was able to wield a weapon. When it comes to her uncontrolled strength and powers, that's only because she doesn't have her memories. When she regains them, she'll be able to control them. I hope that clears things up. Thanks so much for all the love you guys have been giving this story. You guys are awesome! I appreciate every review. Please keep them coming; they really help spur me to update sooner!**

9: The League

Superman touched down on the roof of the Daily Planet around 5, a whole hour later than he'd told Lois he'd return. He hadn't calculated that he and Batman would have to fight against thirty men all armed with kryptonian weapons. Superman fought valiantly until one of them walloped him from behind with a club that had round kryptonite rocks embedded into the wood. His shoulder still smarted where the weapon had landed. He was sure there was a bruise. Lois wasn't going to be happy to see that. The cuts had healed from the small sunbath that Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter had forced him to take after they arrived in answer to Batman's distress call. The second the other League members showed up the thugs hightailed it in every direction, making it impossible to round all of them up.

It frustrated Superman to no end that every time he went to the warehouses he got sick. He was sure it was Luthor's personal way of mocking him. How had he managed to gather so much kryptonite into one location? Superman hadn't been exposed to this much radiation since he'd lived in Smallville. Could it be possible that Luthor had found some deposit there that he had missed? He'd made sure to have the meteor rocks removed as much as possible from Smallville to prevent anyone figuring out the ties between him and the town. The League had done a great job removing the rock. They'd sent most of it out into space so that it wouldn't be a future threat. Superman had been sure they'd gotten rid of it all. So then where had Luthor obtained such a large amount? Superman couldn't understand it.

Frustrated and drained, he looked back and forth before putting on a burst of super speed to change into civilian clothes. Pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, he turned his face towards the sun and closed his eyes, longing to have more sunlight. He didn't have time to heal as much as he should have since he had a deadline to make in twenty minutes. The other heroes thought he was crazy for working a day job at the Planet but he'd been doing this longer than any of them. He'd figured it down to a science. Besides, even though it was taxing at times, Clark really enjoyed racing to meet his deadlines and chase down stories with Lois on his heels. It was like a constant dance between the two of them and was one of the few pleasures he enjoyed with her.

Rubbing the shoulder that still sported a bruise the size of a volleyball, Clark turned away from the sun and headed to the elevators that would take him to the bullpen. For it being close to five, there were a lot of people still running around. It was crunch time since deadlines were due at the end of the hour. Clark made his way over to his desk, stumbling without effort. He was exhausted. Already his body was protesting over the lack of sunlight. _Golly, getting hit by kryptonite clubs sure packs quite a punch,_ he thought to himself. _At least it's not as bad as when Luthor stabbed me in the back._ Unconsciously his hand rubbed over the scar, the only slightly abnormal bump on his skin.

"Jeez, Kent! Watch where you're going!" someone said.

"Sorry," Clark muttered, tripping over his own two feet unintentionally as he skirted out of their way. He made it to his desk and slumped into it, resting his neck against the back while letting out a long sigh.

Lois looked over at him in alarm. "Honey, are you alright?" she asked, coming over.

Clark nodded. "Tired," he muttered. "Been a long day."

Lois narrowed her eyes. "Did you go to the warehouses again?"

Clark didn't answer. He looked really pale.

Before Lois could demand him to leave to drink in some sun, Perry White opened his office door. "KENT!" he shouted. Clark practically leapt out of his skin from the sudden outburst. He looked over at his boss who stood in the doorway to the Editor in Chief's office with his arms folded across his chest. "In my office NOW!" Perry ordered.

Clark sighed and squeezed Lois' hand. "I'll be alright, Lois," he promised, brushing her forehead gently with his lips. "I just need to take it easy."

Lois failed to hide her concern as she nodded. "Okay."

Clark walked into the Editor's office and shut the door. Ignoring him, Perry moved to the window and closed the blinds. Clark gulped. In all his years since working for the Planet, he'd never had a closed blinds lecture. When Perry closed the blinds to his office with a reporter inside, it was usually to give them an ultimatum: get a good story or find a new job. Clark swallowed painfully.

"Mr. White," he cried, "I know I've been having difficulty getting that warehouse story you've wanted for the last few days but I'm working on it. I have several sources and-"

Perry held up a hand. "I'm not here to lecture you, Clark."

Clark's eyebrows went up. "You're not?"

"I've noticed you haven't been looking too good the last few days. Everything okay?"

Clark didn't know what to make of that so he decided to be truthful. "Everything's fine, Chief. It's just the usual exhaustion that comes from chasing down a story."

Perry nodded. "It's the exposure to all that kryptonite from Luthor, I imagine."

Clark nodded. "Yeah it –hey, wait…. WHAT?!"

Perry tried not to laugh over Clark's deer-in-the-headlights look. "Kryptonite," he repeated. "According to your report it's all over the warehouses. It must drain your energy really bad."

Clark stared at him, flabbergast. "I don't know what you mean," he said lamely.

Perry rolled his eyes. "I'm a journalist Kent not a fool. I'll admit it took me by surprise to find out who you really are. I mean, who would have ever guessed that the Man of Steel is a bumbling slightly stuttering reporter? Ingenious disguise! The glasses are the best; they'd keep anyone fooled. It's the other signs you have to pick up on. Learning the truth really helped explain your odd behavior."

Clark felt like a sinkhole had opened up underneath him. Perry knew. He couldn't feint ignorance anymore. That would be pointless. He ran a hand through his hair and dropped his usual higher pitched tone. "How long have you known?" he asked in his normal voice, the range somewhere between Clark Kent and Superman.

"Three years, actually," Perry said, noticing the difference.

"How exactly did you find out?" Clark demanded.

Perry snorted. "Like I said, I'm a journalist, Kent. I pick up on clues. It was three years ago when you and Lois seemed to be going through a rough patch."

Clark tapped his chin and then sighed. "Oh yes, that was when I had to deal with Brainiac. I didn't want him to learn of any sort of connection between me and my family. I had to rent an entirely different apartment, change my look, and stay away from Lois and Jason at all costs. The only time I'd ever get to see the two of them was here at the Planet but even then I had to keep a distance. The only time I got to be with Lois was when she would sneak away up to the roof. Even those encounters were brief. That was a dark time."

Perry leaned back in his chair, sucking on a cigar. "So that explains Lois's fowl mood and your negative energy. You see, one day I couldn't stand either of you moping around. I noticed that Lois was going up to the roof a lot more than usual and so I decided to follow her. Even though she'd quit, I thought I might catch her smoking again. What was my surprise than to find her on the roof with Superman in a full blown kiss. I couldn't believe that Lois would cheat on you, Clark. It was obvious that she loved you when she married you. I admit I always wondered why she chose you over Superman, no offense."

"None taken," Clark said with a small smile.

Perry cleared his throat. "Anyway, I saw her kissing Superman and I couldn't believe it. Then the unthinkable happened. Superman stepped away, created a small tornado, and the next thing I knew, Clark Kent was pulling his glasses out of his pocket onto his nose. Then you kissed Lois and the two of you started getting all snugly. I decided to leave after that. I went down to my office and nearly had a heart attack. Superman was Clark Kent. I was Superman's boss. Imagine that! I was sitting on the story of the century and I couldn't print it."

Clark blinked. "Why didn't you?" he asked, tense.

Perry looked at Clark like he'd grown a third head. "Do you even have to ask, Clark? Your entire life would have been ruined. Lois would hate me for the rest of my life for destroying her family. On second thought, she would have killed me. And I would have lost both of my star reporters. There's no way I would ever put all of that on the chopping block just for a front page story."

Clark didn't know what to think. As he stared at the man before him, he felt a deep sense of respect and gratitude. Not knowing what else to do, Clark looked his boss right in the eye and said, "Perry, thank you."

Perry shrugged. "Anything for Superman."

Clark relaxed for the first time since stepping into the office. "So, what happens now?"

"If you think I'm going to give you any special bonus or promotion, think again," Perry said, suddenly back to his old self. "Just because you're the greatest hero on Earth doesn't mean that I have to treat you any differently than any of my other reporters."

And though he was being deadly serious, he looked at Clark to see what his reaction would be. What he saw didn't surprise him. Clark was grinning. And then he began to laugh. "I wouldn't even dream of asking for a raise, Mr. White," he said between chuckles.

Perry nodded. "Good. Now, does Richard know?"

"Yes."

"What about Lana?"

"We told her last night."

Perry's eyebrows rose. "Oh really? How did she take it?"

"Really well. It helps that Lana has known me since childhood. Now a lot of strange things I did growing up make a heck of a lot more sense. Lois and I decided that whoever was going to marry Richard needed to know the truth since they would be Jason's second mother."

"So does Jason have powers?" Perry asked, curious. He'd wanted to know this particular answer since the moment he found out Clark's secret.

"He has super strength and speed but if he has any other powers, they'll develop throughout his high school years. That's when the rest of mine showed up."

"Really?"

Clark nodded. "I had super strength, speed, and invulnerability long before my vision abilities and super hearing made themselves manifest. Oh, and I didn't start actually flying until I was out of high school."

Perry leaned back in his chair. "So, if Jason gets any more powers, they'll come from now til the end of his teens? What is that, some kind of alien maturing process?"

Clark laughed. "I guess. But they're accompanied with regular human adolescence too."

"You're kidding," Perry said, suddenly mortified. "I couldn't imagine superpowers coupled with immaturity. How did you keep it a secret?"

"I had really good parents," Clark answered honestly.

"So the Kents are real. You didn't make them up?"

Clark shook his head. "They're real, Perry. And I really did grow up in Smallville, Kansas. In fact, I didn't really learn about my Kryptonian heritage until I was in high school."

"A lot of things happened when you were in high school apparently," Perry noted. Then he got a gleam in his eyes. "Hey, do you think you can have an interview with Lois where you reveal what it was like gaining your powers?"

Clark looked a little uncomfortable. "It seems risky, Chief. I've tried really hard to keep people's noses as far away from Smallville as possible. It's enough keeping the locals from guessing things."

"Hmmm, I guess you're right," Perry sighed, dejected. "But we need another exclusive with you soon. It's been a few months."

"I know," Clark said with a smile. "I've been busy."

Perry rolled his eyes. "If it's your job, I could fire you to make things easier."

Clark panicked. "On second thought, I'm not that busy! How about one this weekend?"

Perry grinned. "I'll take that. And not a moment later!"

"Understood," Clark said. "Can I ask something, Perry?"

"Sure."

"You've known all this time and you haven't told me. Why now?"

Perry considered him for a moment. "I decided to tell you because I'm taking you off the warehouse case."

"What?! Why?" Clark demanded. Of all the things he'd been expecting, it hadn't been that.

Perry raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, Clark? You're killing yourself over this story! Literally! I will not have you coming into my paper looking like the walking dead. It hasn't escaped everyone's attention that you're as white as a sheet. I've already got someone lined up to take your story."

"But Perry, it's tied to Luthor! I have to investigate it!"

"Not if it involves kryptonite!" Perry retorted. "Think about it, Kent! If Luthor saw Clark Kent fall over when faced with kryptonite, he'd be able to put two and two together. The man may be insane but he's also a genius. He's your greatest foe for a reason."

Clark folded his arms and if Perry didn't know any better, he'd say the man was pouting. "First the League, now the Planet," Clark muttered angrily. "I hate kryptonite and I hate Luthor! Both stop me from doing what I need to do."

Perry actually let out a laugh. "Clark, stop pouting. I've got a really good story for you to work on instead."

"What is it?" Clark asked, half interested.

"Bruce Wayne is in town," Perry said. "I want you to interview him concerning the proposition he has over buying out several companies in Metropolis. Find out what his motive is. Before I called you in here, I sealed the deal for him to meet with one of my reporters tomorrow over dinner. Usually a woman would be good for the job but Lois is covering another story right now and I need one of my best reporters to wheedle out the real reason he's here in Metropolis."

Clark scowled. "You want me to interview a billionaire playboy over dinner? You have got to be kidding."

Perry stood his ground. "I'm not making it an option, Kent. Do the job or walk. Oh wait, you can't. You're under contract."

Clark growled knowing full well that there wasn't another option. "Fine! I'll do it!"

Perry looked smug. "I thought so. Now get out of my office, Kent. You've got that interview with the local sheriff to finish. Since it's past deadline, I expect it in twenty minutes tops."

Infuriated that Perry would saddle him into interviewing Bruce Wayne of all things, Clark stood up without a word and stormed out of the office. The second the door opened, the bullpen froze. They'd all seen the blinds close. They knew something was up and from the look on Clark Kent's face, they knew it wasn't good. It was one of those rare moments when he looked downright furious. There was only a handful of times the Planet staff had seen Clark Kent angry and it was truly a terrifying experience. No one dared approach to ask what had happened. Clark slammed himself into his chair and started typing, seeming to take all of his frustration out on his poor defenseless keyboard. Everyone looked from him to the office where Perry could be seen behind his desk, the blinds now open.

Lois looked from Clark to Perry and back again. What on earth had just happened? Clark normally pretended to be his usual cheery self in a crisis but this frustration reminded her of the rare times when Perry had forced him to do something he didn't want to do, like hand over a trail case of one of Superman's enemies to Lois. If there was one thing Clark loved to do, it was report on the justice his enemies rightly received. It was like finishing the job to him. As Lois continued to watch her husband bang away at his computer, she guessed that Perry had taken him off the warehouse story. Deciding to face the lion himself, Lois stood up and headed over to Clark's desk.

"I have to finish this in five minutes," Clark growled, not looking away from his computer.

Lois ignored the brush off. Instead she put her arms around him from behind and nuzzled her nose into the back of his neck. "You got pulled off the story, didn't you?" The briefest pause of Clark's fingers confirmed her suspicions. Smiling sadly, Lois kissed the back of one of his ears before squeezing him gently. "Thought so," she muttered.

Clark sighed, still typing. "Lois, you're not helping me to concentrate," he muttered while hitting the keys.

Lois chuckled. "You seem to be multitasking just fine. Besides, you need a hug, even if you don't want to admit it."

Clark remained silent though his shoulders seemed to relax a little. Lois didn't move, instead kissing the back of his ears occasionally, whispering words of her love for him against the back of his neck, and squeezing his chest every so often_. I love my wife_, Clark thought to himself as he finished the last paragraph of his story. Copying it to an email and sending it to the editing staff, Clark leaned back into Lois's embrace and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. Her perfume heightened his desires to snag her into the supply closet but he kept his feelings at bay. Now wasn't the time nor the place for such affection. He only had an hour before he was supposed to be showing up at Richard's house with the rest of the League.

"Did you tell Richard about tonight?" Clark asked, his eyes still closed.

Lois rubbed his shoulders. "Yes, and he's rather excited. You got approval then?"

Clark nodded, enjoying the small massage Lois was giving him. "They'll all be there."

Lois kissed the back of his head. "I knew you could do it."

Clark smiled. "Of course. I had the perfect persuasion material after all."

Lois grinned. "May I ask what it was?"

"Sorry, honey. A reporter doesn't reveal his sources. Not even to his wife."

Lois laughed in his ear before pulling away. "Jason and Thora are down at the coffee place still. I'm going to pick them up and head over to Richard's. He left just before you got back. Will you be joining us for dinner?"

"Actually, I have to talk to a few sources," Clark said.

Lois nodded, getting the hint. "I'll make sure to tell Jason you'll be back late." Then she leaned in and whispered right in his ear, "Will I see you tonight?"

It took everything Clark had not to haul her away, desires be hanged. Gripping the sides of his chair to stop himself from letting his hands run wild over his wife, he nodded. "I'll be there," he sputtered.

Lois laughed and pulled away. "See you tonight then, honey."

"See you," Clark responded after a pause, staring at her stupidly. Forget kryptonite. Clark's biggest weakness was the woman in front of him. If she wanted to, he'd let her kill him without putting up a fight. It was a good thing Lois Lane was nothing more than a reporter. If she had been a villain in disguise, Clark would have been in trouble. As she blew him a kiss on her way out, Clark smiled, sending up a silent prayer of gratitude that Lois was simply Lois and nothing more. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world," Clark sighed before turning off his computer and gathering up his things to go home.

He'd made sure to give Lois ten minutes before making his way out of the Planet. He turned to see Perry watching him. Clark glowered to make sure Perry knew he was still angry about the reassignment. Perry simply laughed. "Stupid old man," Clark muttered, but with a smile. He couldn't help but love Perry even if he did things that drove him mad. Pulling his coat more comfortably over his shoulders, Clark headed for the elevators. In minutes he was at Richard's, stashing his civilian clothes in the backyard under a bush. Deciding to make a quick run through the city to make sure things were in proper order, Superman took to the sky.

o0o0o

Batman stuck to the shadows. He was early but he figured it was best to get a feel for the situation before walking in blind. Surveying the house, the Dark Knight saw Richard White, a redhead, Lois Lane, Jason Kent, and a blond girl sitting in the living room. The redhead and the blond seemed tense, Richard White looked excited, and Lois and Jason appeared relaxed. It was obvious they were waiting for the Justice League to appear since they'd taken positions in such a way that allowed them to stare out the sliding glass doors into the back yard.

Batman wondered silently which person's wellbeing was at stake. As he continued to observe, he noticed that although the older redheaded woman appeared on edge, the blond was constantly fidgeting. Batman was good at reading people. It didn't escape his attention that the others kept staring at the blond. She was the one Lois wanted the League to know about. But why? Who was she? From the way she was holding Jason's hand, Batman deduced they were in some kind of relationship.

"Sticking to the shadows as usual, huh, Bats?"

Batman didn't flinch as he turned slightly to see the Flash leaning against the wall he'd decided to hide behind. "Surveying the area," he muttered.

A splash made both men turn to see Aquaman emerging onto the deck where Richard's sea plane was docked. Noticing Batman and the Flash, he made his way over to them. "A good location," he approved. "They can't see us directly from here. I've been watching from the waves for about as long as you Batman. What do you think?"

"I think it's the blond girl."

The Flash peeked over the wall and squinted. "How can you tell?"

"She's the only one who seems to be wanting to bolt," Aquaman said, "like a fish about to be struck by a shark."

Just then the others descended except for Superman. "He calls a meeting and he's late?" Hawkgirl muttered, running an idle hand over her mace. "Wonder where he is."

Just then everyone heard a sonic boom. Looking up, they saw Superman flying in from space. "Hopefully he went to get more sun," Green Arrow muttered.

In seconds Superman slowed and then landed gently on the grass. "Thank you for coming," he said.

"Where were you?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Getting a little sun," Superman confirmed.

"You didn't get enough earlier," Martian Manhunter stated.

Superman looked away. "They saw me," he said, obviously hearing the conversation from within. "Let's go."

Walking around the wall, the League followed after the Man of Steel into the backyard where Lois stood waiting for them. "Right on time," she said with a grin. "Good to see that all of you could make it."

"You didn't give us much choice," Batman growled.

"I missed you too, Batman," Lois replied kindly.

"What's the reason for this meeting?" Wonder Woman asked.

Lois looked back and forth. Superman glanced around as well. "We're alone," he assured.

"Good. Come inside. There's someone I'd like you all to meet."

The League followed the reporter into Richard's living room where the others waited. Richard's grin was as wide as the Nile river. Never before had so many superheroes been in his house at once. He'd met members of the League on a couple of one on one occasions when they'd come to speak to Clark but seeing them all together like this made him want to keel over. It was obvious he was a major fan. "Do any of you want something to drink?" he asked casually like it wasn't a big deal to have all of Earth's greatest heroes in his living room.

"We're fine, thanks," Batman said before anyone else could speak.

"Suit yourselves," Richard said with a shrug before gulping down some cream soda. He put his arm around the redhead.

"Allow me to make introductions," Lois said. "For those of you who don't know this idiot," she pointed at Richard, "this is Richard."

"I resent that, Lois," Richard said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Didn't our three year engagement mean anything to you?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Get over yourself, Richard. Anyway, this is Lana, Richard's wife. Make sure to divorce him one day, Lana."

Lana smiled while Richard laughed.

"You've all met my son, Jason," Lois continued.

Jason waved. "Hey guys, it's been a while."

"Holy cow, he's gotten older," Green Lantern muttered. "The kid's grown three feet since the last time I saw him."

"And this is Thora," Lois finished. "Thora, this is the Justice League. They're the ones you wanted to talk to."

"You called us here because a teenager wanted to talk to us?" Hawkgirl said, slightly irritated.

Ignoring her, Lois pointed to each member of the League. "Thora, this is Batman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Martian Manhunter, and you already know Superman."

"Everyone knows who we are," Flash said.

"I don't," Thora muttered, speaking up for the first time. The League stared at her in surprise. "I've never heard of any of you before."

Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow. "How is that possible?"

"We found Thora almost a week ago in an alley," Richard said. "She has short term memory loss."

"But that shouldn't effect her not recognizing us," Green Arrow said.

"That's the thing," Thora sighed. "I didn't recognize Metropolis either. I've never heard of the city before."

"Have you heard of Gotham?" Batman asked.

Thora strained her memory but then shook her head. "No. Where is that?"

"It's a few hours away from here," Batman answered.

"How about Star City?" Green Arrow suggested.

Again, Thora shook her head. "Nope."

"Las Vegas," Flash blurted out. "Los Angeles, New York?"

"Those I've heard of," Thora said. "Spiderman lives in New York."

"Who?" Jason asked, staring at her.

Thora suddenly grabbed her head and gasped.

"Thora, are you okay?" Jason cried, worried.

"I-I'm alright," she muttered. "Headache."

"Who's Spiderman?" Aquaman asked Green Lantern.

"No idea," Green Lantern muttered.

"I've never heard of him," Green Arrow said.

"Thora, who is Spiderman?" Superman asked.

Thora looked at him blankly. "Who?"

Batman raised an eyebrow. "You just said that Spiderman lives in New York."

Thora's brow furrowed. "I don't know who that is."

The League looked at each other. There was something different about this girl. Superman looked at Lois who in turn looked at Thora. Coming over to her, Lois bent down so they were at eye level. "I think now is the time to tell them what happened," she said encouragingly.

Thora's eyes widened. "Now?"

Lois smiled. "It's as good a time as any, honey. The rest of us know. You told Jason just before the League got here. Even he said it would be good for them to know."

Thora eyed the superheroes. All of them were staring at her with rapt attention. Swallowing hard, she turned back to Lois and nodded. "Okay."

Lois gave Thora's hand one more squeeze before going over to sit on the couch next to Lana. "You all might want to take a seat," she said.

Everyone except Batman sat down. "I prefer standing," he muttered.

"Bats, nobody is going to come rocketing through the window with a gun," Flash said. "Relax."

Batman remained as tense as before, saying nothing.

Thora looked at Lois, wondering if she should wait but Lois shook her head. Taking a deep breath, Thora ran a hand through her long unruly blond hair and told her tale. When she finished, the League remained silent. "I went to Lois because I thought she would help me learn about each of you," she confessed. "Since I can't remember my parents…"

"You want to know if one of us is," Batman finished. "I can assure you I'm not. I don't have super powers."

"Neither do I," Green Arrow said.

"My abilities come from my ring so I'm out," Green Lantern said.

Everyone looked at each other. They all knew full well that the only person with a child was Superman and his son was sitting across from them holding Thora's hand. Superman looked at Thora, deciding to be the one to tell the truth. "None of us are your parents, Thora."

The girl's shoulders sank. "I thought so," she whispered. "Even though I hoped that one of you would be… I guess I should start looking at your enemies. Maybe I am a murderer after all."

"You're not a murderer Thora," Lois said fiercely. "Your too kind to be a villain's daughter."

"She's right," Wonder Woman said.

Thora looked up with tear stained cheeks. "Then where did my strength come from? Normal people can't throw people twice their body weight like I did."

"Maybe you got into an accident that you can't remember," Flash suggested. "That's how I got my powers."

"Maybe," Thora muttered. "I wonder who my parents are. How did I get in that warehouse covered in blood? Did they leave me there?"

The League didn't have the answers although all of them wondered if Lex Luthor didn't have something to do with this. His current business dealings were in the warehouses.

"Maybe Thora's parents are minor League members," Hawkgirl suggested.

"It's possible," Superman said. "Although I'm not sure anyone has super strength like she does."

"I think the best thing to do is to test the girl's limits," Wonder Woman said.

"I agree," Batman said. "In order to help Thora find out more about her past, we need to know everything we can about her."

Superman nodded. "Thora, how would you like to come to Watchtower tomorrow?"

"What's that?" Thora asked.

"It's the headquarters of the Justice League!" Jason said excitedly. "Only League members can go there!"

"Then why am I invited?" Thora wondered.

"Yours is a special case," Wonder Woman said. "We have a training room that would do nicely to test out the limits of your strength without hurting anyone."

Thora looked at Richard and Lana. "Is it okay if I go with them?"

Lana smiled. "Of course it is, sweetheart."

"Will you come too?"

Lana looked at Superman. Superman frowned. "It's against policy to bring outsiders to Watchtower," he said. "I'm afraid Lana and Richard won't be able to come."

Thora looked stricken. "I don't want to go alone."

"I'm going with you," Jason said. He looked at Superman. "And don't tell me I can't. I have every right to be there."

"And why do you think that?" Hawkgirl demanded.

"Anyone that has superpowers is allowed," Jason said. "Robin's been there. Why can't I?" He retorted, looking only at Superman.

The others looked at the Man of Steel, waiting. This was obviously a challenge between father and son. "Jason, we've already talked about this."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Dad, Thora knows the truth, okay?"

Superman raised his eyebrows. "You told her?" he asked angrily.

"I didn't think it fair to hide who I am since she told me her secret," Jason replied defiantly.

Superman looked at Lois. "And you let him tell? What about keeping it under wraps, Lois?"

"Clark, Thora has a right to know!" Lois said.

"How so?" Superman asked, folding his arms.

The others heard the venom in his tone. Usually when Superman spoke like that, it meant to run for cover. They couldn't believe that Lois would stand up to him when she had no way to defend herself. Then again, Lois was the only person who would ever be daring enough to do such a thing.

"Think back how it was for you growing up," Lois snapped. "You can't lie and tell me that more than anything you would have loved to be able to talk to someone who had abilities similar to yourself! Both Jason and Thora have super strength! They can relate to each other in a way that other teenagers can't. You were the one who said you wished that Jason wouldn't have to grow up the way you had to! Besides, I think it's obvious that their relationship isn't one that's going to be fleeting. They remind me of a certain superhero who couldn't keep his eyes off a certain reporter."

Richard snickered. "That's true. Love at first sight."

Superman stared at Lois for a long while. The two seemed to be having a battle of silent wills. The tension was thick and several members of the League shifted uncomfortably. Most of them had never seen Superman and his wife argue. Batman and Green Arrow had been the only ones to witness it in the past. The two men shared a look, both grinning.

"One Porsche says Lois wins," Batman muttered to Green Arrow.

Green Arrow smirked. "I'll take that bet."

"Fine," Superman said. "You win, Lois. Jason can come tomorrow."

"I'm coming too, of course," Lois said.

"Absolutely not!" Wonder Woman snapped.

Lois stood her ground. "I'm coming and that's not up for negotiation."

The heroes heard the warning in her voice. As much as they didn't like it, none of them dared refuse her. Superman sighed. "Fine, Lois, you can come. What about you two?" he asked bitterly to Richard and Lana.

"As much as I'd love to go," Richard sighed, "I have to work. Thanks to you guys I have a big front page story to deal with. Way to go rescuing all those people from that volcanic eruption."

"You were unconscious sunbathing," Batman said to Superman's bewildered look.

"I'd love to go too but I have a photo shoot," Lana said. "You'll be okay without us, won't you, Thora?"

The blond looked at her and nodded. "As long as Jason is there, I'll be okay," she said.

Jason blushed and several of the adults had to stifle their chuckles.

"Right, if that's all, I have to get back to Gotham," Batman muttered, standing up. "Robin's bound to be running around the streets and someone has to get him to bed."

The others, except for Superman, stood up to leave as well.

"See you tomorrow, Thora," Wonder Woman said with a smile.

"Bye. And thank you all for being willing to help me," Thora said.

They all nodded before taking their leave.

Superman spun on his heel and after the small tornado, Clark Kent appeared, minus the glasses. "Well, that went well," he muttered. "We should probably head home too. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

Everyone agreed. Jason gave Thora a hug, promising to see her in the morning, before following his parents out to Lois's car. Once getting inside, Clark looked at the two of them and shook his head. "After all these years and you both have finally found a way to get into Watchtower. What are the odds?"

Lois grinned and kissed his cheek. "It was bound to happen eventually, sweetheart. You couldn't keep us away forever."

"Yeah, Dad. Besides, aren't you glad you get to share it with us?"

Clark rolled his eyes, smiling. "I suppose so, son."

"I hope traffic isn't too bad," Lois whispered so quietly only Clark could hear. "I want to get home to finish what we started in the office."

Clark's heart did a little flip. He looked at Lois and grinned. "Just don't drive like a maniac," he whispered, kissing her temple. Lois only laughed as she took the route that would lead them home.


	10. Plots

10: Plots

The howling of the wind dug into the Avengers' skins. They'd been combing Jotunheim for the last two days. This was their second search but Thor was insistent that Loki was sure to appear here before he appeared anywhere else.

"Are you sure about this, Thor?" Ironman asked as he held up a hand to keep snow from blowing over his helmet.

"Yes, Ironman," Thor shouted over the wind.

"I hate the ice," Captain America said to Black Widow.

"Too many painful memories?" she guessed.

Captain America nodded. "Ones I'd rather forget to be honest."

Hulk came flying out of the sky into a pile of snow. Brushing the dust off, he looked to Thor. "Loki not over in mountains," he grunted.

"At least we can put that range behind us," Hawkeye said between chattering teeth. "Anybody else want to call it quits for a while? A f-fire sounds really good."

Everyone looked to Thor. They were willing to go as far as he pushed. Thor looked at his companions. The only one able to withstand the cold for as long as he could was Hulk. The rest needed warmth or else they would be sure to get sick. As much as he wanted to keep plowing forward, the health of his friends was too great to ignore. "We will rest," he muttered, dropping Mjolnir into the snow.

"What can we burn?" Ironman asked, looking around.

Thor walked away from them a few paces and came back with a few bluish rocks. Cap raised an eyebrow. "Um, you realize those are rocks, right?"

Thor smiled. "They're special rocks, my friend. Ironman, care to light them up?"

Ironman shared a look with Cap before shrugging. "Sure, I don't mind trying to set rocks of fire with a high powered laser that would normally blast them to bits." He raised his hand, took aim, and fired. To everyone's amazement except Thor's, the rocks immediately burst to life, crackling a healthy yellow fire in seconds.

"How is that possible?" Hawkeye asked as he pushed his hands over the flames.

"Magic," Thor said. "Asgardians littered Jotunheim with these rocks just in case they got stranded here. We can survive quite well for days in the bitter cold but if we stay for longer than a week, fire is required. The Frost Giants don't bother getting rid of the rocks since they use them to cook meat. The magic makes it so the fire's warmth spreads out at a twenty foot radius."

"I noticed," Black Widow sighed, thankful that the chilly winds were gone. She leaned against Captain America's chest and closed her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Yeah, keep it G rated, guys," Tony joked.

Cap picked up a snowball and threw it at him, grinning.

Iron Man dodged and it smacked Hulk in the side of the head. "Oops, sorry big guy," Captain America apologized.

Hulk shrugged it off, deciding that he wasn't in the mood for a snowball fight. Everyone had just barely managed to thaw themselves out when Thor suddenly leapt to his feet.

"What is is?" Iron Man asked.

"Loki," Thor growled and he leapt into the air, meeting Mjolnir halfway.

"I hate it when he does that," Iron Man muttered, looking to where Thor had just disappeared in a burst of wind and snow.

"Come on," Cap said, grabbing his shield.

The rest of the Avengers caught up to Thor who had paused to stand outside of a cavern. "I never would have guessed this was here," he muttered.

"So why didn't you go in?" Hawkeye asked.

Thor looked at him and sighed. "Loki disappeared at the entrance. It was one of his dobblegangers. I hate those."

"Even so, I think we should at least check it out," Cap said. "Where there's a dobbleganger, Loki can't be far off."

Thor nodded. "Good point." Stepping into the cavern, the Avengers rounded a corner and came into a rather large open space. That's when they noticed the woman. She was chained to the ceiling, her slender arms over her head. Her blond hair hung pathetically over her shoulders. Her long green dress had been torn in several places. "Amora!" Thor cried.

The Enchantress weakly raised her head. "Well," she rasped. "If it isn't Thor and his friends. Loki really did take his time."

Ignoring that last statement, Iron Man aimed at the chains made of ice and fired. Amora came tumbling down. Thor caught her before she hit the cave floor. "What happened to you?" Thor demanded.

Amora smiled weakly. All her life she'd longed to be in Thor's arms but she never pictured it where she was so weak that she couldn't move. Not to mention Thor didn't have an expression of love but one trying to calm anger and impatience.

"Amora, what happened to you?" Thor repeated.

Amora shrugged. "Loki. He knew you were coming for us so he ran off and left me to take the blame."

"Where's Thora?"

Amora looked away. "I'd rather not say."

"Woman, speak!" Thor commanded and though he wasn't holding it, electricity leapt from his hammer.

Fear caused the words to pour from Amora's mouth. "I don't know! Neither does Loki. We sent her through the Vortex with its twin gate being this cave. She never arrived."

"Then where did she go?" questioned Black Widow.

Amora shrugged. "I haven't a clue. The only explanation I can give you is that someone opened a different gate before I did."

"This Vortex, can there be multiple openings at one time?" Captain America asked.

"Only two," Thor answered. "The Vortex acts as a gateway; a quick passage from one place to the next. It's operated through magic so few actually use it."

"So then a different magician opened a portal before the Enchantress could create the sister one?" Hawkeye suggested.

Thor looked at Amora who swallowed. "That is the only likely explanation."

"Could Thora be stuck in the Vortex?" asked Iron Man.

Thor's face turned white. "If anyone suffered such a fate, they wouldn't last longer than a day. The Vortex isn't meant to be a resting stop, Iron Man."

"What happens to someone who stays in there that long?" inquired Cap.

"Your body is torn down into small particles in order to travel through the small space," Amora explained. "If the particles are not realigned, they will slowly drift into the Vortex and feed its domain."

Thor stood up. "Amora, I will never be able to forgive you for what you have done." Unable to look anyone in the eye, the Asgardian walked out of the cave, leaving Mjolnir behind. He looked like a broken man.

Black Widow wasted no time tying Amora with strong cords. After surveying her work, she told the others to watch over the prisoner before walking out of the cave after Thor. She found him sitting in the snow, his knees resting his arms, his head buried inside. Black Widow sat down next to him and put a comforting arm over his caped shoulders.

"She's not gone, Thor."

"How do you know?" he asked, without raising his head. "What am I going to tell Jane? Father? Everyone?"

"Thor! She's not lost!" Black Widow replied forcefully. "The only reason she would be stuck in there is if there wasn't a second portal open. Amora and Loki had a one here. If what you say is true about this Vortex then Thora spat out somewhere else."

Thor finally looked up at the long haired woman. There was a glimmer of hope in his blue eyes. "You think it's possible?"

"No, I think it's logical. Call it whatever you want, magic, physics, logic, its all the same thing. You should know that since you married a scientist. Like everything in this universe, the laws tied to those things applies. There's a fixed process this Vortex has to uphold from what you and Amora explained. Two portals were open just not the ones we thought."

"Thora may be somewhere else," Thor muttered.

"Exactly. We just have to keep looking. Come on, big guy, we need you. You're our only way to get through the nine realms."

Thor finally smiled. "You're right, of course. If Iron Man tried to lead you-"

"We'd all die," Black Widow interjected.

Both laughed as they stood up. Black Widow started making her way back into the cave when Thor stopped her. "Black Widow," he called. She turned. "Thank you," he said.

"You'd do the same for me," she said before going back into the cave.

Thor was about to follow when a flash of green appeared twenty feet above the cave entrance. Thor's eyes rocketed upward to see Loki standing on the top of a ledge. Summoning Mjolnir, Thor leapt into the air. He could hear the others calling his name but he ignored them. All he wanted to do was punch Loki in the face. They may be brothers but this time he'd gone too far. Thor landed in front of Loki, who stepped back several paces.

"Now, brother, I know you have every right to be angry," Loki began.

Thor swung his hammer, smashing into Loki's chest. The image disappeared. Shouting in frustration, Thor looked around, trying to find him despite the falling snow. Another green glow ten feet ahead of him showed a second doppleganger sitting on a large rock of ice. "Brother, I don't want to fight you."

"Come out of hiding then!" Thor spat as he threw Mjolnir. The rock exploded along with the doppleganger in a crack of thunder.

"Alright, fine," Loki said somewhere behind him. Thor whirled around.

"Wow! Don't hit me!" Loki cried, holding up his hands in defense since Mjolnir was about to come flying into his face. "I want to talk."

Thor forced himself to be patient but remained on his guard. "So talk," he said, folding his arms.

"I never meant to hurt Thora," Loki said.

"And how can I believe that?"

"Because out of all the times I've kidnapped her, has she ever come back to you harmed or wounded in any way?"

Thor paused, thinking.

"Come on, you oaf, you have to have noticed," Loki taunted.

"Shut up, Loki." Thor continued to think and after a moment, he realized that Thora never had been hurt. "What were you doing with her, then?" he asked, confused.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Despite what everyone assumes to believe, I actually like my niece. The only reason I kidnap her is because it's the only way I can ever spend time with her."

Thor's mouth dropped open. "You have got to be kidding…that's the reason? You're not lying?"

"Do I look like I'm lying this time?" Loki asked flatly.

Thor observed him. "No. This is one of the few times your actually being honest."

"Yes, yes, don't try to sound so shocked," Loki muttered with a wave of his hand.

"Why didn't you just ask to spend time with her?"

Loki looked on him with disbelief. "You honestly would have let me take her away for a day."

"Of course not!"

"My point exactly! You wouldn't have let me get within an inch of her. And so, in order to get to know the girl, I kidnapped her. And I probably will keep doing that once we find her."

"Like I would let that ever happen again," Thor thundered. "It's because of you that she's missing!"

"Not quite," Loki countered. "Amora is the reason Thora can't be found."

"What do you mean?"

"She's the one that cast the spells to open the Vortex."

"You're a magician just as much as she is," Thor retorted. "Don't try to place all the blame on her."

"I'm not, you idiot. It was my idea but Amora put it into action."

"And why was that? Wanted to save your own skin when I found you both?"

"Partially, yes," Loki admitted. "But the main reason is that thanks to the stupid Light Elves, my magic is recovering. The only thing I can do is create dopplegangers and even those can't last for as long as they usually do."

"What did they do to you?" Thor asked.

"Never you mind," Loki hedged. "I'm recovering; it's just going to take a few more days. Now, Thora's been missing for almost a week. I've been searching for her in the less likely places, ones you and your precious Avengers would overlook."

"And?"

"I haven't found anything yet, obviously, or else Thora would be here with me."

"And how am I supposed to believe that? You could be keeping her all to yourself. What do you do to her when you kidnap her anyway?"

"Doesn't she tell you after you rescue her?"

"She's told me that you hold her captive in some kind of cell for days until I can find where she is."

Loki stared at him for a moment. After all these years even his own niece couldn't see the true reason behind her kidnapping. _Well, might as well keep it that way,_ Loki thought cheerfully. "That pretty much sums it up," he said.

Thor raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes," Loki snapped.

"This is not the time to be discussing this," Thor muttered, his thoughts returning to the task at hand. "Do you have any plans of how to get Thora back?"

"Yes, actually. You keep doing what you've been doing and I'll do the same."

"_That_ is your master plan?"

"And keeping a portal to the Vortex open so that if she manages to somehow figure out that's how she traveled, she'll be able to use it to get back to us," Loki elaborated, scowling.

"That sounds more like it. It's a good plan."

"Of course it is," Loki scoffed. "I thought of it. And the portal's already open."

"Where is it?"

"Somewhere on Midgard."

"Loki, where is it exactly?" Thor demanded, taking a step closer.

Loki didn't appear the least bit intimidated. "Now, brother, why would I tell you? If Thora comes back and I get her first then I can continue where my plans left off and you can still swoop in at the right time to save the day."

"Loki, this isn't a game!" Thor shouted. "This is my daughter you're gamboling with and I will not stand here another minute and let you have your way. Now you tell me where the gate is or I'll-"

"Or you'll what? Send the Hulk on me?"

Thor paused.

Loki rolled his eyes. "That threat went stale three years ago. I can avoid the beast now just as easily as I can avoid you. Now, if your uncomfortable with the current arrangement, I can close the portal."

"No!" Thor cried. "No. Keep it open."

Loki appeared smug. "That's what I thought. I'll keep in touch if I find anything."

"And what if we find something?"

"I'll find you," Loki muttered. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have places to go, things to do."

Thor stepped forward to stop him but Loki disappeared in a wave of green. Thor cursed. Another doppleganger. Looking around at the frozen land, Thor barely made out the shadow of Loki slinking off into the mountains. He wanted to go after him but just then Iron Man landed next to him.

"Thor, where the heck did you go?"

"I just had a chat with my brother," Thor sighed. "Come, we have much to discuss and I'd rather not have to repeat myself."

"Okay," Iron Man said as he followed Thor who traveled back down to the cave entrance where the others were waiting.

o0o0o

Zatanna pulled off the road and traveled down the alley that eventually ended in a large broken down factory. It had long since deteriorated from lack of use yet, for some reason, there were two strong men standing guard at the entrance. Zatanna parked her car a good distance away, threw her long raven black hair out of her eyes, and made her way towards them.

"You lost, lady?" one of them grunted.

Zatanna looked him up and down. Like his companion, he was built strong in body but not in mind; a typical Lex Luthor cronie. Zatanna put on her best smile. "I'm here to see Lex," she said smoothly.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"I'm here to make a business proposition to him," Zatanna replied, avoiding the question.

The man to her left took a step forward; his stained teeth reeked of alcohol, his dark hair greasy from lack of personal hygiene. Grinning, he exposed several missing teeth. "No appointment, no entrance," he said, his breath nearly causing Zatanna's eye's to water.

Narrowing her gaze, she stood her ground. "Look, I'm not leaving, so either you two let me pass or I'll have to make you get out of my way."

They both guffawed stupidly. "Lady, I'd like to see you try to get passed us!" The dark haired man said.

Zatanna smiled evilly. "Am I to assume that means you're not going to let me through?"

"Darn right we're not!"

Zatanna sighed. "That's too bad." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a handful of red colored dust.

"What are you going to do with that?"

Instead of answering, Zatanna let out a deep breath, blowing the dust right into their faces. With a puff of smoke, where once stood two men, now stood two frogs. Smiling at her work, Zatanna said with glee, "Don't worry, the spell will wear off in a couple of hours. Next time, I think it would be wise if you just let me through without being difficult. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Stepping over the frogs who looked up at her with eyes of outrage, she opened the door to the factory and stepped inside. Looks definitely were deceiving; while the outside of the factory was broken down and insignificant, the inside was polished clean, the whitewashed corridors before her spotless. Black and white checkered tiles lined the floor. Zatanna strolled in without a care in the world. As she went she cast a spell of temporal invisibility; the less she had to deal with Luthor's followers, the better. It didn't take too long to find Lex Luthor. His office was the largest in the building and was located up a flight of stairs that would have led to the boss's headquarters if the factory were still operational.

The older gentleman was sitting behind his desk, pouring over paperwork. Zatanna was delighted to find him alone. Closing the door behind her, she made herself visible. Luthor nearly had a heart attack from her sudden appearance.

"How the heck did you get in here?" he cried, trying to regain his composure.

"Why, I'm surprised, Luthor," Zatanna replied smugly as she sat down in the chair opposite him. "I thought you would have had better guards."

"I'm perfectly aware that you have magic, Zatanna," Luthor said, completely at ease now, "I'm to assume that you let yourself in by using it to your advantage."

Zatanna grinned. "Don't worry, Lex, your guard dogs will change back to their normal selves in a couple hours."

"What did you do?" Lex asked, curious.

"I turned them into frogs."

Lex rolled his eyes. "How original for a witch."

"Why, thank you."

"Did you happen to turn every on of my men into useless amphibians?"

"No, just the two ingrates that wouldn't let me in. I snuck past everyone else through temporal invisibility. Seriously, you should double your security, Luthor. The League knows where you are. They can strike any time."

Lex raised an eyebrow. "And you are telling me this, why?"

Zatanna shrugged. "Because I have use of you and if you get caught before tomorrow, then my plans fail."

"And why would I be willing to help you with anything?" Lex demanded.

Zatanna grinned. "How would you like it if I guaranteed that if you help me, Superman would be out of the picture for a full twenty four hours?"

Lex threaded his fingers together. "I'm listening," he said, trying to keep his excitement hidden.

Smiling, Zatanna replied, "Once a year, I pick a day where I give Superman a little bit of grief; it's to celebrate the anniversary of our first encounter. All I need is for you to lure Superman to this warehouse's location. Then leave the rest to me."

Lex raised an eyebrow. "That's it? I don't even get to fight him?"

"That's not part of my bargain," said Zatanna. "The deal is, if you lead him to me, I'll give you twenty four hours free of the Man of Steel. In that twenty four hours, you can do whatever it is that you have been trying to do for the last week without him or the League getting involved."

"How can I know the League will leave me to my devices?"

"Superman is going to be missing. Do you think they'll have their eye on you?"

"You bet I do!" Lex said, standing up. "If Superman were to disappear at this warehouse you want me to lure him to, the League will jump to the conclusion that I had something to do with it since I have been making most of my business these days around that location. I'd be the number one suspect on their list."

"Not if you lure him there without actually being there," Zatanna revealed. "At the time of the incident, you will be attending the luncheon for Wayne Enterprises."

"Why would I go to that? They're celebrating opening another outpost in Metropolis! Why would I go and celebrate over Bruce Wayne's victory in making a deal with Queen Industries?"

"Because it's the best cover up I can give you," Zatanna retorted. "Once the League finds out at the time of Superman's disappearance you weren't anywhere near the crime scene, they'll be less likely to point the finger at you without evidence. It will take them time to investigate. And while they're off doing that, you do whatever your evil heart desires."

Lex stared at Zatanna with a calculating expression. The woman's offer was tempting. Having the world free of Superman for a day and the Justice League off his back was almost like Christmas coming early. He could do everything he needed without having to worry about all those idiotic vigilantes breathing down his neck. The more he thought about it, the greater the desire to implement it became.

"You will ensure all of this happens just because of a prank you want to pull on the Man of Steel?" Luthor asked, testing her.

"Of course," Zatanna laughed. "It'll be quite fun! What do you say, Lex? Do we have a deal?" she asked, holding out her hand.

Lex took it after a moment's pause. "Deal," he agreed.

"Perfect!" said Zatanna with a smile. "Tomorrow around two. Don't disappoint me, Luthor."

Lex grinned. "I'm sure you will be quite pleased with the results. Would you care to stay for dinner?"

Zatanna frowned. "No, thank you. I don't have meals with the enemy."

"But you're willing to make deals with them."

Zatanna grinned at the statement as she stood up. "Goodbye, Lex," she said before twisting on her heel and disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Lex looked over at a picture on the wall of Superman holding the Daily Planet Globe. "Just you wait, my dear old friend," he muttered with a smirk. "Tomorrow is going to be one filled with surprises."

**WOO! The plot thickens! Reviews are love! :)**


	11. Watchtower

**AN: I think people have been waiting for this chapter for quite a while. Hope it measures up! I really enjoyed writing this one! :**)

11: Watchtower

Richard and Lana dropped Thora off at the Kent's apartment early the next morning. It was a dainty place, complete with a small secluded balcony for Mr. Kent to use when he had to take off. Thora glanced in the living room where a big flat screen TV sat in front of a couple of chairs and a sofa. Family pictures lined the walls, ranging from Jason's younger years with his mom and Richard to a current photograph of the Kents. A couple of Pulitzer awards adorned the wall beside the TV, congratulating Mrs. Lane for her accomplished articles about Superman. A few art pieces complimented the beige and brown furniture.

"I like your living room," Thora commented as she followed Jason into the kitchen where the smells of fresh bacon, sausage, pancakes, and eggs permeated the air.

"Thanks," Jason said. "This used to just be my dad's apartment but after he and my mom got married, we moved in. Before that, Mom and I were living where you're staying, at the river house."

They walked into the kitchen, which was black, white, and red, to find Mr. Kent tossing a stack of ten or so pancakes onto a plate. He smiled warmly at Thora. "Morning," he said cheerfully. "I hope you're hungry, Thora. I'm not sure how much you eat but Jason inhales ten pancakes and still has room for more."

"Dad!" Jason groaned exasperatedly while Thora giggled.

"I didn't know you could cook, Mr. Kent," said Thora.

"Please, call me Clark," he said as he went back to the stove to take care of the bacon and eggs before they burned. "And to my cooking skills, well, when you live on a farm, your parents teach you how to take care of yourself. My mother had me cooking in the kitchen when I was tall enough to stand comfortably over the stove."

"Does Lois cook?"

Both Clark and Jason started laughing.

"The only thing Mom is capable of cooking is coffee," Jason answered between snickers. "And that's only because all she has to do is turn on the machine."

"Which is one of the best things about marrying your father," Lois said as she walked into the kitchen dressed in a pair of jeans and a soft blue sweater. Clark kissed her in welcome before handing over a plate full of breakfast foods. "Smells great, honey," she commented as she drowned her pancakes in syrup.

"Yeah it does," Jason said, taking a plate for himself and Thora.

"Thanks," Thora muttered as he set it down before her.

After getting himself a plateful, Clark sat down at the table as well and everyone enjoyed a lovely breakfast. Clark had already done his early morning run and informed everyone that he'd taken care of a bank robbery along with preventing several muggings.

"Honestly," Lois muttered while pouring over several news papers at once, "why do people have to commit crime before most of the city is even awake? Don't they have lives?"

Clark smiled grimly. "Crime never sleeps, Lois. I'm just thankful we don't live in Gotham. Batman's got it rough. At least I can take a break every so often. Batman has to do things twenty four seven."

"You know as well as I do that Batman loves what he does," Lois muttered while scanning a copy of the Morning Star newspaper. "He'd do it twenty four seven if he didn't have to sleep and heal from all the injuries he gets. Sometimes I wish he had your invulnerability. But then again, if he did, he'd never stop."

Clark nodded. "I highly doubt he would."

"So Batman doesn't have any superpowers, right?" Thora asked between mouthfuls.

"Yep," Jason said, taking a stab at a sausage.

"How can he be a superhero?"

"Batman has more training in the ridiculous than anyone I've ever met," muttered Jason.

"What do you mean?"

"He means that Batman has more training in different fighting styles that the normal human being," Lois translated.

"And he has a limitless supply of gadgets that allows him to do things most people can't," Clark put in. "He's also trained to perform stunts that most stunt actors would cringe over."

"Wow! How long did it take him to learn all this stuff? And where did he get the money for all his gadgets?" asked Thora.

Clark shrugged. "Every superhero has ways and means of providing the materials they need to do their jobs."

"In other words, Dad's trying to say that he can't answer that question because it would reveal Batman's identity," said Jason.

"And it's not my decision to do so or not," Clark replied. "If the other members of the League want to disclose their secret identities then that is up to their discretion."

"I understand," Thora said, "although I find it… strange."

"Why do you say that?" Lois asked, looking up from the Daily Planet newspaper.

Thora scrunched her forehead until she let out a small gasp of pain and rubbed her temples. "Sorry," she muttered, her eyes closed.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked, putting a hand over her own.

"Yeah," Thora muttered, glancing over at him with one eye. "I guess I just tried to remember something that's being blocked."

"That's okay," said Lois. "Do you need anything? A glass of water, maybe?"

Thora nodded. In seconds, Clark was setting a glass in front of her. She hadn't even seen him move. "Wow, you really are fast. Thank you."

"No problem," Clark replied. "Do you need any medicine?"

"No, I think this will do, thanks."

While she downed the liquid, Clark and Jason cleaned up the table. In lightning speed, the dishes were in the dishwasher and the once cluttered kitchen was spotless. Thora handed her empty glass to Jason who placed it in the dishwasher before shutting the lid.

"Right," said Clark, glancing at the kitchen's clock. "Shall we get going?"

Lois threw the newspapers away and grabbed her purse before he'd even finished his question. "What are you waiting for?" she asked excitedly. "Let's get a move on!"

Clark sighed, exasperated. "You do know that you won't be able to report anything that goes on today, right, Lois?"

"I know that," Lois said, trying to mask her disappointment. "But at least I finally get to see everything! I've been waiting for this for ten years!"

"Me too!" Jason said. "Ever since Watchtower was created, we've been dying to see what it looks like. Is it true that it's an invisible spaceship?"

Clark raised an eyebrow. "It's more of a base than a ship, son."

"And it's invisible, right?"

"Yes."

"Cool!"

Thora smiled over her friend's enthusiasm. She was glad that he was in high spirits about all of this. Thora herself was terrified. The only reason they were going to Watchtower was to prove how strong she was and to see if she had any other undiscovered abilities. She had no idea what kind of a text the superheroes were going to make her take. All night she'd had nightmares about lifting heavy objects that ended up crushing her. Swallowing hard, Thora fought the desire to take Jason's hand. She longed for his comfort but she didn't want to appear desperate and needy. She and Jason may have feelings for each other but she didn't want to be known as the overly obsessive girlfriend who wouldn't let her boyfriend out of her sight. No, she needed to be strong. Besides, the League wasn't going to make her do anything dangerous… right?

Thora followed the Kents out to their car. Jason opened her door before getting into the car himself. Lois climbed into the driver's side while Clark took passenger. "Don't you drive, Clark?" Thora asked.

"I can but Lois prefers to be the driver of the family," Clark answered. "I don't mind since I prefer a different mode of transportation."

Lois smiled before reaching over and taking her husband's hand. "Besides, Clark drives like a hick. They don't know how to handle vehicles in Smallville."

Jason snorted while Clark rolled his eyes. "Lois, I was taught how to _drive_ in Smallville, not drag race."

Lois scoffed playfully, "How _you_ drive causes grandmothers grief."

"Just because I'm one of the few people who drives safely in Metropolis-"

"You're the only person, Clark," Lois interrupted. "Honestly, if you drove the way you fly, you'd be the best driver in the States."

"If I drove the way I fly, there would be too many accidents for the police to keep up with," Clark muttered.

Driving out of the main part of the city, Lois headed west. "The entrance to the fake headquarters is off of Garver Road, right?" she asked.

"Yes," Clark muttered.

"Why do you have a fake headquarters?" Thora wondered.

"It's so the public has something to gawk at," answered Jason. "The League plays it up by using the fake location as a way to transport to the real Watchtower. People like seeing the Justice League since they give them hope. And because superheroes are really cool."

"I guess that makes sense," mused Thora. "If anyone found a way to break in, wouldn't they be able to get to the real space station?"

"Not really," Clark said. "There's a special system Batman set up which allows only League members to access the secret passage that leads to the teleportation room."

"Couldn't someone hack into the system though?"

Jason let out a laugh. "Sorry," he said upon seeing Thora's confusion. "Batman's one of the smartest people in the world. Only a handful of people might be able to crack his system and even then they have to break down the firewalls. It's neigh impossible to do. Most people give up in frustration."

"There's only one person who's managed to get through," Clark said.

"Who?" asked Thora.

"Robin," Jason answered. "And that's only because he's Batman's apprentice. But even he barely managed to break all the codes. He almost gave up after trying to get in for twenty hours straight."

"Twenty hours?" Thora gasped. "Didn't he even take a break?!"

"Nope," Jason said. "Robin's not a quitter. His persistence is one of the main reasons Batman took him under his wing."

"Persistence is key in the city of Gotham," Lois remarked as she pulled into the visitor parking of the fake Watchtower site. "It looks like there's already a tourist crowd forming. Wonder how far these people traveled this time."

Everyone got out of the car. "So, how do we expect to get in?" Thora asked. Just then she looked around. Clark was gone. "Hey, where's your dad?"

Jason looked around too. "I don't know."

"Come on, kids," Lois said, unfazed by her husband's sudden disappearing act. She made her way towards the front of the building where several tourists were taking pictures in front of a statue of the Justice League. Jason took Thora's hand and followed after his mother. They just barely made it to the front gate when the doors opened and Superman stepped out. People immediately cried out in delight and started taking pictures like mad. Superman made his way down the cobbled path to the gates, his shoulders straight, his expression pleasant. He even waved a couple of times. Lois watched the procession with her arms folded, her bag slung over her shoulder. Jason noted that it was the one she usually took with her when chasing a story.

Superman reached the gates and smiled. "Right on time, Mrs. Lane."

"I was on time. You, however, are running a bit late."

"Sorry," Superman apologized with a grin. "I was in a meeting."

"Well, are you free for that interview now?" Lois demanded. "Or do we need to reschedule?"

"I'm all yours," he answered, opening the gate to let her in.

"I hope its okay to have my son and his friend tag along," Lois said.

"Of course," Superman said. "Jason is my godson after all."

Thora had to hand it to them, Lois and Clark could really act! Even she had to remind herself that they were husband and wife. Superman acted like he was merely a friend accepting another interview from his personal reporter while Lois definitely gave off the vibe that she was all business. If Thora didn't know that Superman was Clark Kent, she would have never guessed they were the same person.

Several people in the gathering crowd expressed the desire to enter but Superman apologized, explaining that the only reason Lois and company were allowed inside was for the purpose of an interview. There were several disappointed grumbles but nobody dared to press the Man of Steel into letting them in. Once the gate was securely locked, Superman led the way inside.

"You know, ever since I found out Perry knows, he's been bugging me to get dozens of personal interviews with you," Lois muttered.

"I'm sure he'll find this story satisfying," Superman answered. "It's not every day a reporter gets to go inside the headquarters of the Justice League."

"You mean the fake headquarters," Lois said. "I'm not giving him or anyone else the satisfaction of knowing what the real headquarters looks like. Besides, he may know who you are now but that doesn't mean he gets to know all your secrets. I still can't believe he knows the truth."

"I know," said Superman as they made their way inside. "But it does help when I have to make a quick get away from work. He's even coming up with excuses to get me out of the Planet. Here we are."

They had crossed the entrance hall, which was covered with fine portraits of each member of the League and several pieces of furniture to lounge in, to stop in front of a wall filled with books. Superman walked down the rows to the right before pulling a book out on the third shelf from the bottom. Opening the front cover, Thora noticed that instead of pages, there was a hand scanner. Superman placed his palm over it and the surface glowed blue. A moment later and the wall of books parted right down the center, opening to reveal a secret room beyond. Thora was expecting something grand but all that was inside was a platform glowing a dull cream color. Once inside, the wall behind them shut.

"All you have to do is stand on the platform," Superman revealed. "I should warn you, the journey can be a little rough. The first time we tried it out, Green Arrow threw up."

"Did you bring a barf bag for Mom's sake?" Jason teased.

"I think you'll need one more than me, son," Lois said with a grin. "I'm used to your father doing all crazy kinds of stunts while holding me in his arms. I think I can handle a little space travel."

And without waiting for permission, she jumped onto the platform and disappeared. Superman chuckled. "She hasn't changed," he muttered. "No matter how many years I've known her, that woman is still a dare devil. Alright son, would you and Thora like to go together?"

Jason looked at his girlfriend. She didn't seem remotely frightened. "Do you?" he asked.

Thora smiled. "I'll see you on the other side." Without a pause, she stepped up to the platform and disappeared.

Jason sighed. "I guess that was a no. See you in a second, Dad." He followed in Thora's footsteps and planted his feet over the glowing floor.

Thora felt like she was being yanked upward by a hurricane. The force lifting her was powerful, yet controlled. She was surrounded in a column of light, traveling faster than the speed of sound, her hair whipping around her like a cape. For some reason, Thora wasn't the least bit nauseated. In fact, she was completely comfortable with this form of travel. It was as if she'd done it before, although she couldn't remember whether or not she actually had. In seconds, the trip was over and Thora's feet were planted on solid ground in a room similar to the one she'd just left.

Lois stood off to the side, her face white. Despite the look of discomfort, she appeared determined to show forth her usual commanding presence. Thora stepped off the platform just as it glowed bright blue. In a flash of light, Jason appeared, looking slightly sick. He stepped off the platform and tried not to groan.

"Are you alright?" Thora asked.

Without a reply, Jason nodded.

Superman appeared shortly after and Thora was surprised to see even he looked uncomfortable. "I hate that mode of transportation," he said in response to her questioning look. "I'll never get used to it."

"That's because you don't usually use it," Batman said, entering the room. The rest of the League was trailing along behind him.

"Good morning, Thora," Wonder Woman said with a smile. "Are you ready to test your limits? We've got the training room all set up for you."

Thora felt like she had an elephant stuck in her throat. Swallowing painfully, she nodded. "I'm ready."

"Then let's go," said Hawkgirl, leading the way.

Batman stood in front of Lois, preventing her from leaving the room. "No articles, Mrs. Lane."

Lois grinned. "I already promised not to write about this place, Batman. I'm here as a wife and mother, not a journalist. I'm going to support Thora, that's all."

Batman narrowed his eyes. "If I find any article, Lois-"

"Batman, relax," Superman said, coming to his wife's aid. "I'll make sure Lois doesn't write anything she shouldn't."

Batman scowled before turning to follow after the others. Lois rolled her eyes, laughing lightly. "He's particularly sour this morning. Stay up too late, Bats?"

"It was a long night," Batman growled.

"Hmmm, you'll have to tell me all about it later," Lois said.

As the League made their way down the hall, Thora noticed other heroes scattered here and there. They must have been part of the minor members of the League Jason told her about earlier. The look of respect they gave to the original members did not go unnoticed. After passing the first group of people, Thora heard one of them gasp.

"Oh my gosh, it's Lois Lane!" A woman wearing a black leotard said to her companions.

Thora glanced back at Lois. Despite the fact that she was walking next to some of the greatest superheroes in the world, Lois looked like she fit right in. She carried herself with a certain kind of confidence that was similar to that of a hero. A surge of respect swelled somewhere in Thora as she watched this woman hold her own amongst giants.

After a few long circular hallways and a couple flights of stairs, they came to the entrance of the training room. The size of a football field, the room held all kinds of gadgets. Objects had been pushed to the sides so that the floor was fairly open to maneuver freely. Thora's head started to hurt; the space seemed so familiar to her but she couldn't place why. For the thousandth time, she cursed her short-term memory loss.

"Alright kiddo, lets see what you can do," Green Arrow said.

"Um, what should I do first?" Thora asked, confused.

"How about a race to test your speed?" Flash suggested.

Green Lantern rolled his eyes. "You do realize that nobody can win against you in a race, right? It would be pointless to go up against you."

Flash pouted. "Fine. But I still think speed should be tested."

"How about I race against her?" Jason said. Everyone looked at him. "I'm just as fast as Dad was when he was in high school."

"He's got a point," Superman said. "I don't see why not."

"Alright, speed it is," Wonder Woman muttered. "The track starts over there." She pointed a few feet off to her right. Thora suddenly noticed the track marks that ran around the whole room.

"Come on," Jason said encouragingly, taking her hand. He led her over to the starting mark. "I promise not to go too fast," he said.

"I don't think speed is my thing," Thora muttered.

"You won't know until you try."

Thora sighed. "Alright. Just don't laugh when you leave me in the dust."

Flash suddenly appeared in front of them. "Alright, you two ready?" he asked, excited. They both nodded. "On your mark, get set, go!"

Jason took off in a blur of red and blue. Thora hadn't even run ten paces before he reappeared next to her. He slowed his pace and took note that though Thora was a good runner, she definitely didn't have super speed.

"Guess that's a no go," Flash sighed.

"Let's test her strength," Superman suggested since Thora looked a little disheartened. "I'd like to see how much she can handle."

"Alright with me," Thora muttered, trying not to appear embarrassed from the race against Jason.

Superman led her over to the weight section. "How much do you think you can lift, Thora?" he asked, easily hefting a ten ton weight that lay in the walkway.

"Show off," Batman muttered.

Superman grinned but didn't comment.

"Um, I'm not sure," Thora answered.

"Let's try one hundred pounds," he suggested.

"Okay."

Superman put the weight onto the handlebar and stepped back. Thora bent down and lifted it without any effort. Excited, Superman added more weight. The League watched, impressed as Thora continued to withstand the further weight their colleage added to the bar. When the weight turned to sixty thousand, Thora showed the first signs of strain. "Keep going," she said because Superman hesitated. After a nod from the others, he added another twenty thousand pounds. Thora's muscles began to ache. Superman noticed the strain and paused again with another thousand pound. "Put it on," she huffed. Sweat was freely crawling down the sides of her face. Thora closed her eyes.

"I think that's the limit," Superman said.

"No," Thora cried. "One more!"

"Thora, you're about to keel over," Jason said, concerned as well as impressed.

"Put one more on," she commanded.

Superman looked to Batman who shrugged. "She wants to see if she can do it. Why not?"

Sighing, Superman put the next weight on. Thora's knees almost buckled but she was able to keep the bar raised. Deciding to push her luck, Superman placed another ten thousand weight on but Thora couldn't handle it. She wasn't strong enough. The bar fell but before it could hit the ground, Superman caught it with both hands. After their shock wore off, the League cheered.

"I've never seen someone so young lift so much!" Green Lantern said in awe.

"One hundred thousand pounds," Batman muttered. "That's how much you can handle, right, Jason?"

"Roughly," Jason said with a grin. "Good to know someone who's just as strong as I am."

Thora smiled while wiping sweat from her brow. Her muscles ached after having sustained so much weight for such a long time. She didn't feel utterly spent but she did feel as if her knees were going to buckle. Shakily, she walked over and sat down on a bench.

"Are you alright?" Superman asked, coming over instantly.

"I'm okay," she said, slightly out of breath. "It was a lot of weight."

"I'll say!" said Green Arrow. "That was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen."

"Thank you," Thora smiled. "I guess this makes one thing clear."

"What's that?" Jason wondered.

Thora smiled sadly. "I'm not human."

"That might not be entirely true," said Martian Manhunter. "Jason is half human, half Kryptonian and he can lift about the same amount of weight as you."

"So are you saying I might be half Kryptonian too?"

"Naw, you don't have super speed," said Jason.

"Jason, just because you've been able to show some of my powers doesn't mean you'll get all of them," Superman said. "You might never develop heat or x-ray vision or freezing breath."

"I'm slowly getting super hearing," Jason revealed. "I could hear things outside the school last week. I can't control it yet but I will some day. Maybe it will develop before the end of the year."

Superman shrugged. "It's possible."

After regaining her breath, Thora noticed that Wonder Woman was hanging back slightly from the rest of the crowd and was watching her like a hawk. It was kind of creepy. Thora tried to shrug it off.

"Are you ready to try something else?" Superman asked.

Thora nodded.

"Perhaps she has invulnerability," Green Lantern said.

"How would we prove that without hurting her?" Hawkgirl asked.

Before anyone moved, however, Wonder Woman came charging out of nowhere with a sword aimed right at Thora's neck. Displaying incredible agility, Thora swayed to the side to avoid the blow.

"What are you doing Wonder Woman?!" Flash demanded.

"You wanted to know if she's invulnerable and I wanted to know how agile she is. I figured a surprise attack would be best," Wonder Woman answered.

Before anyone could say or do anything, she lunged at Thora again. This time Thora leapt backward in a flip, her body weight coming down fully on her hands before launching herself into the air to land on her feet. No sooner had she regained balance, Wonder Woman came at her again with the sword. Thora dropped to the ground on her hands and used her legs to kick Wonder Woman's calves. The heroine leapt into the air to avoid the strike.

Some strange feeling overcame Thora. A familiarity like nothing else was bubbling to the surface…although, something was missing. Crouched low to the ground, she instinctively threw out her right hand and waited.

"What's she doing?" Aquaman asked.

_What is she up to?_ Wonder Woman thought. Obviously she was trying to do something because her stance stated that she was still very much poised to fight. The only strange thing was her right arm launched out to the side, her fingers outstretched. It was almost as if she was waiting for something. The determination and concentration boiling in Thora's blue eyes spurred Wonder Woman into a ferocious series of attacks. Throwing the sword aside, she came at Thora with her full strength. Thora dodged every blow and even landed a few punches of her own. The two women fought valiantly. The other members of the League only saw Wonder Woman fight this way with her fellow Amazons.

Wonder Woman struck a heavy blow that sent Thora flying across the room. Skidding to a halt, Thora regained her footing, and then the alarms started going off. Everyone looked around just in time to see something come flying through the solid steel wall. The object flew across the room straight at Thora.

"Thora, look out!" Jason cried but his warning turned into a gasp.

The object connected with Thora's hand and electricity shot all over the place accompanied by multiple crashes of thunder. After the intense flashes of light died away, everyone looked up to find Thora adorned in some kind of body armor. A long red cape covered the back of her shoulders, cascading down to her ankles. A large rectangular hammer was in her right hand and Jason realized it was the object that had flown through the wall.

Thora's expression was excited as well as determined. Focused, she pulled back her right arm and started swinging the hammer until it became a blur. Electricity radiated from it, shooting out and striking random places throughout the room. Drawing backward, Thora screamed, "For Asgard!" before launching the hammer right at Wonder Woman.

It all happened in a flash. A great crack rent the air as flesh met metal. Thunder rattled eardrums, walls, and floor. A resounding crash shortly followed. Of it's own accord, the hammer flew across the room back into Thora's hands. Once she realized what she'd done, Thora gasped. Wonder Woman was fifty feet to her left while Superman was prying himself out of the wall. It was simple to tell what had happened. He'd pushed Wonder Woman out of the way and taken the blast himself.

Holding the hammer out in front of her like a sword, Thora shot through the air towards Superman. "Are you alright?" she asked, landing on her feet. Superman stared at her. So did everyone else. But Thora wasn't really paying attention. She looked Superman over and then whistled. "Wow, the only person I've ever seen take that much of a beating was the Hulk. Then again, I'm not as strong as my father so I guess I didn't hit you as hard as he could have."

Superman found his voice first. "Your father?"

Thora's eyes widened and she gasped. "I remember! I remember who I am!" She looked around excitedly at Jason but then faltered when she saw the Justice League. They all appeared apprehensive.

"Who are you?" Wonder Woman asked, suddenly appearing suspicious.

"I am Thora, princess of Asgard," Thora answered. "My father is Thor, prince of Asgard."

"Asgard? I've never heard of it," said Green Arrow. "Is is a planet?"

"More or less," Thora answered. "It's one of the nine realms of Yggdrasil."

"What the heck is Yggdrasil?" asked Flash.

Thora looked around. "Do you have a piece of paper? It's easier to understand if I draw it out while explaining."

Flash disappeared for two seconds before reappearing with paper and pen. Thora set to work drawing out the diagram her father taught her ever since she was old enough to understand the Bifrost.

"There are nine realms in the cosmos," Thora said as she drew out the circles. After naming the planets she drew the tree. "All the realms are part of the world tree, Yggdrasil. My father comes from Asgard. My mother, from Midgard or as humans call it, Earth."

"I've never heard of any of those other worlds before," Green Lantern said, "and I'm the guardian of this sector of the galaxy."

Thora looked confused. "That can't be right. The nine realms are all interconnected. Asgardians use the rainbow bridge as transportation from one place to another. My father is the guardian of the nine realms. It's his job to keep the peace."

Everyone looked at Green Lantern who merely shrugged. "Like I said before, I've never heard of this. What's your father's name again?"

"Thor."

"Never heard of him," Green Lantern said.

"Neither have I," said Superman. "And I've been around long before anyone else decided to come out and be superheroes."

"But you'd have to at least _heard_ of my father," Thora insisted. "Asgardians are mistaken for Norse gods. My father is the god of thunder."

"Thora, the Norse believed their own kings to be their gods, like the Egyptian pharaohs," said Jason. "They didn't worship deities like the Greeks or Romans."

Thora shook her head. "No, that's not right. Odin, the All Father, is considered their highest god. Then Thor and Loki."

Jason looked at his mother. "I'm afraid we've never heard of those people, Thora," Lois said. "In all my history research, I don't recall the Norse had deities except for their kings."

"She's right," said Batman.

Thora dropped her hammer. It made a dull thud as it connected with the ground. "That can't be right. This has to be some kind of mistake."

"I'm afraid it's not," Wonder Woman said. "Believe me, Thora, I know deities and I've never heard of the ones you mentioned."

"How is that even possible?" Thora asked, looking at all the adults.

None of them had an answer. Hearing the pounding of her heart, Superman put a comforting hand on Thora's shoulder. "Don't worry, Thora, we're going to figure everything out. It might take some time but could you first explain to us what just happened and where that hammer came from?"

Thora looked down at her hammer. "Well, I reacted instinctively, I guess. This is Mjol. My grandfather, Odin, gave it to me for my birthday." Thora paused. All her memories came rushing back. Her birthday party, her grandfather giving her a hammer just like her father's, her Uncle Loki crashing the party, and being thrown into some kind of Bifrost.

"What does Mjol do?" Hawkgirl asked.

"It gives me the ability to fly, travel through dimensions, control electricity, and control the weather," Thora answered. "It's the same as Mjolnir, my father's hammer. It was fashioned after it, anyway."

"You can fly with it?" Jason asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Thora answered.

"Mind giving a demonstration?" Batman asked.

"Um, sure." Thora thrust Mjol into the air over her head and took off from the ground like a bullet. She zoomed around the room before touching back down. "Wow," she muttered before looking up. "That's the first time I've ever tried that," she answered honestly.

"Really?" Jason said.

"Well, I only got it last week," Thora revealed. "Like I said, my grandfather gave it to me for my birthday. We were holding my birthday party on Asgard when my Uncle Loki crashed it. He likes to create havoc and kidnap me in the process. It's kind of one of his habits."

"Sounds like he'd get along with several people I know," Batman muttered.

"What kind of person kidnaps people as a habit?" Martian Manhunter asked.

"My uncle," Thora sighed. "He's always had this complex of causing mischief and chaos in my father's life. Kidnapping me is one of his favorite ways to do that."

"He must really hate your father," Green Arrow muttered.

"Well, Uncle Loki is technically adopted," Thora revealed. "He was a Jotun that my grandfather decided to save after they stopped the Frost Giants from freezing Midgard. My grandfather raised him with my father but when my father was chosen to be the next king of Asgard, my uncle unleashed all this fury and now his life consists of making every Asgardian miserable, especially Odin and my father."

"Sounds like a mixed up family," Flash commented.

Thora laughed weakly. "Yeah, we're a little dysfunctional."

"So after your uncle crashed your birthday party, what happened?" asked Lois.

"He threw me into something," answered Thora. "It wasn't exactly the Bifrost but it was some type of vortex. The next thing I knew, I went soaring through a window and smacked my head against a wall. That's probably why my memories temporarily blanked."

Batman glanced at Superman and whispered so quietly that only he could hear. "What do you think? Is she telling the truth?"

Superman looked at Batman and nodded to show he really believed so. "It sounds like you might be from an entirely different place, Thora," he said.

"But that's not possible," she said. "Midgard is Earth. This is Earth. I haven't ever heard of Gotham or Metropolis but the other major cities, like New York City and Los Angeles, I've heard of before. I don't understand."

"You said before that Spiderman lives in New York City," said Jason.

"Yes, he does. And Tony lives in LA."

"Who?"

"Tony Stark," said Thora. "He's Iron Man. He's a billionaire."

Batman and Green Arrow looked at each other. From the look on their faces, neither of them had ever heard of the man and both knew every billionaire in the States.

"I've never heard of him," Batman said.

"Me neither," added Green Arrow.

Thora decided to try a different tactic. "Lois, you know every major paper in the state cities, right?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever heard of the Daily Bugle?"

Lois and Superman looked at each other and frowned. "I'm afraid not," Lois said.

Thora looked light headed. "What is going on?" she whispered. "Have you heard of S.H.E.I.L.D.?"

"What's that?" Wonder Woman asked.

"It's a special section of the government," Thora said. "Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye work for them."

"I've never heard of any of these people," said Martian Manhunter.

"Maybe that's because they're not from around here," Batman growled. Everyone stared. "Do you all remember the time where we went to an alternate universe? Maybe Thora is from one of those."

"That would explain why things aren't matching up," Superman mused, tapping his chin. He glanced around. "I think it's best to go to the council room to discuss things further. The more we learn from Thora the easier it will be to help her locate where she's from."

Everyone agreed.

"We need to be on our way," Batman said to Green Arrow.

Green Arrow looked at the clock. "You're right. If we don't, we're going to be late. Hey, will you guys fill us in?"

"Sure," said Wonder Woman. "Check in when you're done. We might still be here."

The two nodded before turning down another corridor.

The rest of the League continued down the main hallway, leading towards a set of double doors. As they walked towards the council room, however, Superman paused. Lois look up and noticed the distant look on his face. Then his face paled. "Honey?" she prompted, worried.

Superman looked down at her. "I've got to go."

"Need some help?" Flash asked.

"No, I've got it," Superman said distracted. He took off, flying down the corridor at top speed.

The League looked at each other. Something was up. Superman never ran off like that except in emergencies and usually it was one that required help. So why was he flying solo? Flash made to go after him but Green Lantern caught his arm. "I think it best to leave this one up to him. Besides, we need to stay here so we can fill in Batman and Green Arrow about what Thora tells us."

Flash sighed. He didn't like it but Green Lantern was right. "Fine. But if he calls-"

"I'll head out to meet him," intervened Wonder Woman. "You're needed here, Flash. Besides, Green Lantern and I can get him to the sun if he needs it."

Flash didn't look happy but he agreed. "Alright."

Thora turned to Jason as they followed the League down a series of stairs. "Is your dad going to be alright?"

Jason glanced at his mom. Lois appeared more on edge than usual. She always tensed when his dad had to run off on an errand but this kind of worry he was seeing on her face was different. Jason turned back to Thora. "I think he will be," he said, deciding that it was best not to cause Thora to worry. She had enough to deal with at the moment.

Lois' pace was slower than usual as she followed the others. She kept glancing out the windows that held a spectacular view of the Earth. She knew that distracted look on Clark's face; she'd seen it in nightmares involving a huge island made of Kryptonite. She'd heard that Lex Luthor was back in town. Had he used that special frequency to communicate to Clark? And what could he have said that would make her husband's face turn white the way it had? Lois was uneasy. Everyone didn't seem too worried but she was completely on edge. Something was wrong.

"Please," she muttered out loud, "protect Clark. Bring him back safely. Don't let anything bad happen."

But even as she said the words, Lois couldn't help but feel that something dreadful was indeed about to take place.


	12. Midgard

**AN: Thank you all so much for giving this fanfiction so much love! I never thought it would have so many fans! There have been may of you that have pointed out that Mjol means flour. I know. I decided to go with the name just because it was the first half of Mjolnir. It's like a baby version - kind of like how Thora is Thor's baby. Even if it means flour, that's the name. :P **

12: Midgard

Superman raced down to Metropolis, his thoughts clouded with what he'd just heard. Lex Luthor had used that annoying frequency to threaten him. His mind drifted back to his disgusting greeting.

"Hello, Superman," Lex said. "Meet me at Warehouse 249 in ten minutes or else I'm going to set off a bomb in the Daily Planet. I know how much you care about the place so if you still want to see it standing, you'd better show. And if you try to disable the bomb, I have a second that will take out Metropolis City Hall. You can't be in two places at once and we both know that if you try to involve your friends, they'll end up getting hurt along with civilians. Warehouse 249 in ten minutes. I look forward to seeing you, my old friend."

Superman scowled in rage. Only Luthor would do something like this. He knew exactly how to manipulate him into doing precisely what he wanted. Putting on a burst of speed, Superman broke the sound barrier as he soared into Earth's atmosphere. He would just barely make it if he kept his current pace. It was a good thing he knew where the warehouses were, having spent so much time there the last two weeks. Whatever Luthor was planning, Superman was going to put an end to it.

Racing over the city of Metropolis, he made sure not to fly too close to any buildings; his speed might cause the windows to shatter. Warehouse 249 was located close to the edge of the city, near the water. Superman slowed his pace and touched down just outside without leaving a crack in the pavement. Thrusting the door open, the sight that greeted him caught him off guard.

Streamers lined the ceiling, balloons littered the floor, and the number twenty covered the walls in several places. Superman stepped inside and the door to the warehouse whooshed shut. Someone in the corner started clapping. Zatanna slipped out of the shadows, a large smile etched across her face. She wore her traditional black and white suit complete with top hat.

"I've got to admit," she said slightly laughing over Superman's surprised expression, "I'm impressed. You managed to get here from Watchtower in nine minutes forty seconds. You're early but that's okay."

"Zatanna? What's going on?" Superman asked, still trying to recover from the surprise. "Where's Luthor?"

"Oh, he's not here," she said, coming towards him. "He just did a little favor for me."

"What? So there's not a bomb at the Daily Planet or City Hall?"

Zatanna's eyebrows rose. "Wow, leave it to him to think up something that diabolical as a false reason to get you to me. No, Clark, there aren't any bombs. Luthor's not even here. He's attending a party."

Superman looked around quickly to make sure they were alone. "Zatanna, you know not to use my name in public."

"Relax," she soothed, coming to a stop three inches away from him. Her fingers traced the S symbol on his chest. "We're all alone."

Superman took a step back. "Zatanna," he warned. He knew she always had some kind of feelings for him, despite the fact she'd met him after he was already in love with Lois. She'd tried a few times in the past to win him over but it was all in vain. Superman felt bad that he couldn't reciprocate any feelings since it brought Zatanna so much pain to see him with Lois but he couldn't help it. His love belonged to Lois and Lois alone. No other girl had captured his heart the way Lois had. Zatanna knew this full well, yet she still teased him with moves like this.

Zatanna didn't appear hurt by the brush off. "Clark, I didn't have Luthor lure you here to seduce you."

"Then what are we doing here?"

Zatanna spread her arms. "Can't you tell? Today's the twentieth anniversary of the first day we met!"

Superman groaned. "Oh no."

Zatanna grinned. "Don't worry, Clark, I only wanted to give you a present. A twentieth anniversary is a big deal after all."

Superman eyed the small box she was holding. He didn't trust whatever it was; Zatanna's gifts usually resulted in something ridiculous. He still remembered the prank where she managed to get drug him with magic so he acted like a complete drunk. The memory still haunted him. Zatanna placed the little wrapped box in his hand. It was lined with lead.

"You didn't think I'd allow you to peek?" she whispered, smiling.

Superman scowled. "I really don't want to open this, Zatanna."

"Why not?" she chimed, playing dumb.

"You know full well why. You're gifts always do something unpleasant."

"Oh, come on," Zatanna urged. "They're not all that bad. You've laughed about them over the years."

Superman frowned. "Yes but at the time they caused me to do things that I regret."

"You won't regret this," Zatanna said.

Superman still appeared apprehensive but he knew that she would never leave him alone if he didn't go ahead and open the gift. "If Metropolis goes up in flames, I'm sending you to the Phantom Zone for a week," he muttered, ripping the package off. Opening the lead box, he tipped it over and something fell into his hand. Before he'd registered what it was, Zatanna slipped the bracelet onto his wrist.

Power surged through his veins, spreading throughout his body. Immediately he relaxed, feeling perfectly at ease. He looked at Zatanna and raised an eyebrow.

"How do you feel?" Zatanna asked, excited. She'd seen him on Red Kryptonite before when he was younger. If he still acted that way, Zatanna was sure this day was about to become very interesting.

"I feel great," he answered. "You know, Zatanna, I've been thinking."

"Yeah?" she asked, her heart skipping a beat since his deep blue eyes were focused intently on her.

"The world has always caused me problems," he said suddenly beginning to pace.

Zatanna's brow furrowed. That wasn't what she'd been expecting. "That's nothing new," she muttered, disappointment curling at her insides.

"Exactly," he said, suddenly coming to a stop and facing her. "I've been too lenient with them. It's about time for something to change. I'm tired of having to save them all the time only to have another wave of crime and disorder destroy everything I have built up. I'm going to take matters into my own hands."

"What do you mean?" Zatanna asked, suddenly fearful. He wasn't suggesting-?

"I'm going to make all the world leaders bow down to me," he said, smiling broadly. "Everyone will have to do as I say. I'll be in control. I'll have all who commit crimes put to death and everyone will live in harmony. I will create world order and everything will be as it is supposed to be."

Zatanna began to panic. "But, Clark, that goes against everything you stand for!"

"Not anymore!" Superman snapped. "Didn't you hear me, Zatanna? I'm tired of doing things that don't produce the proper result."

"But what about the Justice League?"

"They will either join me in my efforts or I will have to eliminate them," he said simply. "You're part of the League. Will you follow me in the conquest for peace?"

Zatanna knew full well that if she disobeyed, he'd fry her with his heat vision. Standing tall, she nodded. "Of course. You're right after all. This world needs a change."

Superman nodded. "A wise choice. Let's return to Watchtower and purge those who disagree from our midst. We can't have any resistance if we want to achieve our goal."

"Wait!" Zatanna said, thinking fast.

Superman paused. "What?"

"What about Lois? Don't you think you should discuss this with her before you make a decision?"

Superman's face softened just a fraction from the cold expression he held before. "Lois will agree with me. She always does when she knows I am doing something right."

"I don't doubt it but she is your wife and you need to make big decisions like this together," Zatanna said, thinking fast.

Superman let out a breath and folded his arms. "You're right, of course. If I am to have Lois reign by my side, we need to be on the same page. Even if it takes a few days, she'll agree with me. She always does. Do you know where she is?"

"Yes," said Zatanna. "I opened a portal that will take you to her. You just need to fly through the window."

Superman raised an eyebrow. "Or I could simply fly directly to her."

Zatanna shook her head. "The portal would be faster, trust me. You'd be there in a second's time. This is a matter of urgency, is it not? Time is precious."

Superman looked at the window. "Alright, I'll take the portal. But if I have found that you have lied to me, Zatanna, you will regret it."

Zatanna smiled, keeping her heart rate and voice steady. "I promise it will take you where you need to go."

Superman nodded before leaping into the air. Raising his fists, he flew directly through the window and suddenly disappeared. Zatanna didn't waste any time. Waving her hand quickly, she closed the portal, causing the air to shimmer for a split second. The other side would have taken him to his apartment where he would have met Lois. If she wasn't there, he'd come back here for sure and Zatanna wasn't going to stick around to find out.

Her plan had backfired completely from how she'd envisioned. If Clark had acted the way he did when she'd first seen him on Red Kryptonite years ago, he would have been completely preoccupied with his wife. But instead he was bent on taking over the world. And the terrible thing was that he could do it. She was thankful he'd decided to follow her advice about talking to Lois first. It would have been a lot worse if he hadn't. Smacking herself mentally for the unknown mess she'd created, Zatanna whipped out her communicator. Punching the button for emergencies, she was immediately connected with a screen where most of the League sat in the council room.

"Zatanna, what's wrong?" Wonder Woman asked, standing up.

"It's Superman," she said.

That's when she noticed Lois leap to her feet. What was she doing in Watchtower?

"What happened?" Lois demanded.

Zatanna groaned. "I'll tell you all the details later. The drastic thing you need to know is that he's on Red Kryptonite."

"How the heck did that happen?" Lois cried, terrified.

"There's Red Kryptonite?" Flash asked, looking at Green Lantern.

Green Lantern shrugged. "I've never heard of it."

"Neither have I," Aquaman said.

"Lois, what does it do to him?" Wonder Woman inquired.

Lois looked faint. She put her head in her hands. "Red Kryptonite messes with Clark's emotions. It removes all of his morals, making him reckless, dangerous, and unpredictable."

"Zatanna, where is he?" Hawkgirl said, turning back to the monitor.

"I sent him through a portal that should have placed him back at his apartment. I thought Lois would be there."

"What did you think I could do?" she demanded. "The last time he was on the stuff he wouldn't listen to anyone, including me!"

"That was years ago, Lois," Zatanna pointed out. "He was younger and his desires were that of a young man in his twenties. Now that he's older -more mature- he's determined to take over the world and…" Zatanna paused.

"And what?" Hawkgirl demanded.

Zatanna had a hard time looking any of them in the eye. "If anyone defies him in any way… he'll kill them," she whispered.

"Dad would never do something like that!" Jason said immediately.

"If he was on Red Kryptonite he would," Lois muttered.

"Lois, I may not know all the effects of Red Kryptonite but Superman isn't a killer," said Martian Manhunter. "He would never do something like that."

Lois shook her head. "You all don't understand! When Clark is under the influence of Red K, every dark thought, every dark desire, is magnified tenfold. When he was first exposed to it as a teenager, he stole his parents credit cards and bought a ridiculous amount of technology, was a playboy at school, stole a car, used his abilities out in the open, and ran away from home. Then, another time, he ran off and lived in Metropolis by stealing from the ATM's of every bank in the city and partying at the clubs, picking up random girls. Does any of that sound like something Clark or Superman would do?"

The League was dumbfounded. They couldn't even imagine Superman or Clark doing any of those things, not even in their wildest imaginations. He just wasn't that type of person. If he was like that as a teenager, then what could he be capable of as an adult? Zatanna said he wanted to take over the world. Would he really do such a thing?

"You said you transported him to his apartment?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Yes, but once he finds that Lois isn't there, he might go ballistic," Zatanna answered. "I'm currently in Metropolis but nothing seems to be blowing up just yet."

"I'm going to make a phone call," Lois muttered, pulling out her cell.

"Who are you calling?" Jason asked.

"Your father," she replied. Everyone waited. After thirty seconds Lois hung up. "He didn't answer."

Wonder Woman turned to Martian Manhunter. "Go and warn Batman and Green Arrow. You should be able to get into the procession."

Nodding, he stood up and left.

"We need to remain calm," Wonder Woman stated. "If Superman is going to take over the world, he'll come here to try to convince us to join him."

"Actually, he's going to be looking for Lois before he goes for world conquest," Zatanna piped up. "I convinced him to discuss it with his wife before making a final decision."

"And he agreed to that?" Lois asked, surprised.

"He wants you to rule at his side," Wonder Woman guessed. "Superman may desire to be the world's dictator but he won't want to do it alone. I'm sure his feelings for you, Lois, are just as strong as they were before he was infected by the Red Kryptonite."

Lois frowned. "I hope you're right about that."

"I'm almost positive that's the case," said Wonder Woman. "And if it is, you are our only hope in getting him off the stuff. If we lure him here to where you are, can you do that?"

"Of course I can," Lois said. "Although…you might want to make sure we're in a private room…"

"Ugh, mom, gross!" Jason groaned.

Thora giggled.

"What?!" Lois demanded. "It's the one sure way to distract your father enough to lower his defenses."

"We'll prepare a room," Green Lantern said, standing up.

Lois nodded. "Make sure it only has one door and no windows. Things could get a little rough."

"Will you be alright?" Hawkgirl asked.

Lois grinned. "I'm his wife. If anyone can handle Superman, I can."

o0o0o

Superman hadn't expected flying through some strange vortex only to end up in the heart of New York City. He raised an eyebrow. Why on Earth would Lois be here? Hadn't he just left her at Watchtower? Perhaps Zatanna's portal hadn't been placed correctly. He was just about to leap into the sky when someone materialized in a glow of green light.

The stranger was wearing a foreign outfit, one that suggested he was from somewhere other than Earth. His long black hair was slicked back, his gray eyes surveying Superman suspiciously. "Who are you?" he demanded.

Superman smirked. "Funny; I was just about to ask you the same thing."

"You used the Vortex," the man pointed out. "How?"

"I have a friend that told me that if I used it, I could find Lois Lane," Superman answered. "Have you seen her?"

A black eyebrow rose over one of the gray eyes. "I've never heard of her. Then again, I think it a waste of time to know the names of mortals."

Superman frowned. "You speak as if you aren't one."

The man laughed. "Of course I'm not! I wouldn't dream of being one of them. Theirs is a pathetic race meant to be ruled by a superior."

Superman grinned. "I agree. Which is why I plan to make it happen."

"Oh?" the man asked, interested. "And just how do you plan on doing that?"

"I will see if the world leaders will be willing to serve under my direction."

"And if they're not?"

"I'll kill them. There's no point in harboring useless tools. If they are not meant to be governed, they are meant to be eliminated."

The man smirked and held out a hand. "I am Loki of Jotunheim."

"Superman," Superman replied, shaking his hand.

"Superman? What kind of a name is that?" Loki challenged.

"It was given to me by my wife. Do you have a problem with that?"

Loki noticed the warning in his voice. He smiled. "Not at all. I am very interested in your plans of world conquest. May I join you?"

Superman eyed him for a moment, considering his offer. "As long as you are willing to be governed as well," he said finally.

"Why can't I be your equal?" Loki asked. "If I am to help you achieve your desire, surely I deserve a reward?"

"My equal will be my wife," Superman retorted firmly. "Now, if you desire to be one of my workers that would be helpful. You can join the rest of the Justice League. I need underhands in order to keep the world leaders in line."

Loki scowled. "I'm afraid I will have to decline your offer. Serving under someone else isn't really my style."

"Then I have no use for you," Superman stated. And without warning, he used his heat vision. Loki's form disappeared and a burning hole etched its way into the brick building behind. Rising into the air, Superman shot out of the alleyway in search for Lois. "I can't begin until I find her," he muttered. "I hope she won't be too elusive. Then again, a game of hide and seek with her is always fun."

Loki waited until the man in the red cape had disappeared before stepping out of the shadows. He wandered over to the brick wall and felt the hole where the red energy from Superman's eyes had drilled into the red stone. He then looked up into the sky. A man who could fly bent on ruling the world. Loki frowned as he wondered whether or not he should tell Thor. He had said he would inform him if anything happened on his end. Superman had appeared flying out of the portal meant for Thora. Maybe he knew where she might be? If that were the case, Loki needed to find him again. But surely the man thought he'd just destroyed him. Besides, Loki wasn't too thrilled about coming between Superman and his desires. Anyone who can shoot some kind of energy from their eyes to kill you wasn't friendly. His mind made up, Loki disappeared.

o0o0o

Thor was currently on Midgard, spending some time with Jane. Now a days he never liked to leave her longer than twenty four hours. She was almost to the breaking point. Since learning about the Vortex and the possibility that they might never find Thora, Jane had retreated into some kind of depression. She'd wander the house and randomly burst into tears one moment and the next she would be locked away in her office, pouring over notes she'd collected about her research of the Bifrost and wormholes. The only time her life returned to normalcy was when Thor was home.

Thor carried two cups of hot chocolate into the living room where Jane sat on the couch, holding Pikachu. She'd taken to carrying it with her wherever she went. Thor smiled sadly as he handed her a mug.

"Thanks," Jane muttered, taking a sip.

Thor sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders, drawing her in close. "I'm sorry I came home later than expected," he muttered. "We were searching through Alfheim."

"Did you find anything?"

"No," Thor sighed, displaying his fatigue. "We have the Asgardian soldiers crawling over every inch of the place since the Avengers were needed elsewhere on Midgard. Apparently Dr. Doom was attempting to take over the entire west coast of America."

"Did they stop him?" Jane asked, more for conversations sake than anything else.

"They did," Thor answered. "I would have gone with them but they told me to keep up the search."

"That's nice of them," Jane sighed, sipping more of the hot liquid.

A knock on the door caused Thor to leave Jane momentarily on the couch. He set down his mug and headed down the hall. Opening the front door, he froze in surprise. "Loki! What are you doing here?"

Loki glanced over his shoulder before turning back to Thor. "Let me inside first. I have news."

Thor let him in at once, shutting the door quickly behind him. Loki strolled into the living room and sat down in an arm chair facing the couch. Jane seemed just as surprised to see him as Thor had been.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I have news," he repeated.

"What is it?" Thor asked, sitting down next to Jane who sat bolt upright.

Loki explained his encounter with Superman. "I think he might know something about Thora," he finished.

"You think this Superman might be from wherever Thora is?" Thor asked.

"Yes."

"You said he's planning on taking over the world?" Jane asked.

"That's correct," Loki muttered, stealing Thor's hot chocolate. Thor scowled.

"Thor, you need to tell the others," Jane said. "You have to find where he is! He might know where we can go to find Thora!"

Thor nodded. "Alright. Brother, you're coming with me."

"What?!" Loki yelped, almost spilling the mug of hot chocolate into his lap. "Why? I told you all that I know! Why do I have to come?"

"You are the only one who knows what this man looks like."

Loki's form rippled in green and a man wearing a bright blue suit with a diamond symbol displaying a bold red S on a yellow background appeared. He wore a red cape over his broad shoulders and a pair of red boots up to his calves. Black hair and blue eyes stared over the mug held up to his lips. After taking a sip, his form glowed green and Loki reappeared. "Now you know what he looks like, brother," he said with a wicked grin.

"Wow, he was handsome," Jane muttered.

Thor raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Jane kissed his cheek. "He may be handsome but he's not you, honey."

Loki gagged. "Please refrain from that kind of affection around me. It's disgusting."

Thor rolled his eyes. "I can't wait until you find love, Loki."

Loki scoffed. "Yes, that will be the day. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a portal to look after. You might want to call up your friends to warn them. I don't think this Superman should be taken lightly."

Thor nodded, standing up. Kissing Jane on the forehead, he promised to be back before midnight. Loki followed him out of the house. The two said their goodbyes before going their separate ways.

o0o0o

Superman flew off in the direction of Watchtower. He made it out of Earth's atmosphere but came to an abrupt halt. Watchtower wasn't where it should be. Flying past several satellites, Superman's brow furrowed further. Watchtower was nowhere to be found, even with x-ray vision. It was almost as if it didn't even exist. Frowning, Superman decided to head to Metropolis. He reentered Earth's atmosphere, creating a sonic boom in his flight to get home. Something didn't seem right. Where was Watchtower? Where was Lois?

o0o0o

"Colonel Roads," a man called, "you might want to come here, sir."

"What is it?" Roads asked, stepping up to look at the large monitor the solider was viewing.

"Unidentified bogey," the solider answered. "And it's moving fast!"

"It's not Thor, is it?" Roads asked.

"We don't think so, sir, but it could be."

"Well, find out before we send out any planes. I don't want to lose a jet just because the guy thinks we're trying to shoot him down."

"Understood, sir."

"It looks like he's making his way towards New York City."

"Maybe he's going to talk to Spiderman," Roads suggested. "Keep your eye on him though. I want a visual at the very least. If it's not Thor, we need to be prepared."

"Yes, sir."

o0o0o

The Avengers decided to congregate at Tony's house, seeing as he lived on the West coast. Thor arrived shortly after the others were all assembled in Tony's living room. Pepper Potts was sitting next to Tony, their hands intertwined. Steve Rogers had his arms around Natasha, both preferring to stand than to sit. Hulk had decided to take a break since Bruce Banner sat comfortably on the couch opposite to Tony and Pepper. Bart was lounging next to him.

"So, Thor, what's the emergency?" Tony asked before taking a swig of scotch.

"Loki found something," Thor said. "He's been watching the portal he created somewhere on Midgard and someone came out."

"Who was it?" Steve asked.

"A man with the ability to fly and shoot some kind of energy from his eyes that left a foot indent in a two foot wall of brick. Loki said he called himself Superman."

Tony snorted. "Superman? What kind of a name is that?"

Thor shrugged. "That's not the worst part."

"Of course not," Bruce said. "Every time a weirdo shows up, they want something."

"Let me guess," Bart cut in, "he wants to take over the world?"

Thor nodded. "But before he does, Loki said he was looking for someone."

"Who?" Natasha asked.

"A woman named Lois Lane. Have any of you ever heard of her?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Maybe we should track her down," Steve suggested. "If he wants her, maybe she's working with him."

"Do you know how many people might have that name?" Tony said. "There could be hundreds!"

"What do you suggest we do, then?" Natasha asked.

Tony stood up to refill his empty glass. "I think we should contact Roady. He has all the tech in the air force to see who's in the sky. Thor, you say this guy can fly? Then Roady will be able to track him down. We follow where Superman's going and then we can search that area for Lois Lane. That lowers the field from the entire US to one area."

"Alright then, Stark, make the call," Steve said.

Tony grinned. "With pleasure. Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Call Roady, please."

"Yes, sir. Calling Colonel Roads."

After a couple rings, Roady picked up. "Tony, I'm kind of busy at the moment."

"Good to hear from you too, Roady," Tony said. "Look, Thor's just informed us there's some new guy in the sky. Have you seen anything on your radars?"

Roady's pause confirmed Tony's suspicions. "We have," he admitted.

"Where's he headed?"

"New York City. And Tony, he's flying fast! Not even Thor moves like that across our radars."

Everyone looked at each other.

"Right, Roady, stand by," Tony said. "According to Thor, this guy is bad news."

"Great," Roady sighed, "We just barely get rid of one threat only to have another show up. I swear, ever since you guys went public weirdoes have been popping out of the woodwork like crazy."

"That's how it goes, Roady."

"Yeah, well, let me know if you need backup."

"Will do," Tony muttered before hanging up. Turning to the others, he sighed. "Well, so much for taking it easy the rest of the day. First Doom and now this guy; are you guys ready to take him down?"

Banner stood up and transformed into the Hulk who let out a roar. Grinning, he grunted, "Let's smash!"

Steve chuckled. "Alright, big guy, but first we've got to get there."

"The jet's ready to go," Tony said, grabbing a remote. Pointing it at a bare space in the wall, the section split open to reveal one of his suits. After getting inside, Tony leapt off the platform and kissed Pepper before sliding the mask over his face. "Let's go."

As everyone loaded into the jet, Hawkeye turned to Black Widow. "Hey, doesn't Spiderman live in New York City?"

"Yeah," she said. "Maybe we should give him a heads up."

"That would be a good idea," Captain America said. "We might need his help."

"You can do the honors this time, Cap," Iron Man said.

o0o0o

Peter Parker was in the middle of enjoying a New York hotdog when he looked up into the sky to see a man flying quickly down Broadway. Mustard fell onto Peter's shirt, causing him to look away from the oddity.

"Awww, man!" he muttered, grabbing a napkin. "This always happens when I decide to wear white." Just then his cell phone rang. Shoving his half consumed hotdog into his mouth, Peter pulled out his phone. "Fel-low?" he said through his hotdog.

"What?" said a voice he immediately recognized.

Peter swallowed quickly. "Hey, Cap! What's up?"

"Hey Spidy, long time no see," Captain America said. "Look, have you seen anyone flying through New York?"

Peter raised an eyebrow as he looked back up into the sky. The flying man was circling the Empire State Building in the distance. "Um, yeah, why?"

"Keep an eye on him," Captain America ordered. "We're on our way."

"Wow, you guys are coming to New York?" he cried, excited.

"Yes. That guy's bad news, Spiderman. He wants to take over the world and we're on our way to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Okay…do you want me to confront him or wait for you to show up?"

"Stay in the shadows until we get there," Cap answered.

"Will do," Peter said. Putting his phone back in his pocket, he inhaled the rest of his hotdog. "Even when I have the day off from the Bugle, there's always something I have to do. Oh, well, comes with the job description."

Disappearing into an alley, Peter looked around before changing into his suit. Spiderman sent a web into the air and flew up the side of the building, making his way in the shadows to the Empire State Building where the man in blue had decided to rest.

o0o0o

Superman was confused and frustrated as he stood upon the Empire State Building, looking over New York City. He couldn't understand why it was here and yet Metropolis was not. He'd flown to the exact location of his city only to find an empty field. It was as if the city had never even been built. The same anomaly occurred with Gotham, Star City, Central City, and Smallville. The last discovery was a heavy blow for him. His hometown was nothing but an endless field of cornstalk. The other cities had been sites for various power planets and rural country side. He decided to fly off to New York in hopes of finding the city there. He wasn't disappointed but it didn't ease his confusion. Why would New York City be here but Metropolis not? Was this some kind of prank?

Panic wasn't an emotion he regularly gave in to but he couldn't help but let it flow through his veins. Watchtower, Metropolis, and Smallville were nowhere to be seen. And that left one possibility Superman refused to accept as reality; if the cities and spacecraft were gone, where was Lois? He couldn't start his takeover without her. He needed her to be by his side. Being a human, she could help those who were rebellious to see sense in his convictions that a dictator was the only way to achieve peace across the globe. She was the only thing keeping him grounded. If she didn't exist, taking over the Earth would be meaningless; he'd have no one to enjoy it with.

Where was the Justice League? Where was his son, Jason? Where was his home? And where was Lois?

He had to find them! Superman was about to take off into the sky to search across the entire Western Hemisphere when a sound of a large jet reached his ears. Looking to the west, he used his telescopic vision to hone in on the source of the noise. The aircraft was large and appeared to be like nothing he'd ever seen in the military's bases. Was it a private jet? It seemed to be moving towards New York.

Then Superman heard a strange noise much closer to his location. It was a rhythmic pattern of something flying through the air and making a small splat on a solid surface. Turning his vision away from the aircraft, he looked down to see a man wearing bright red and blue flying from one building to the other on a piece if slightly transparent string. He was a few miles away but even from here Superman could see the web designs and spider symbol on his chest. Curiosity over the aircraft and this man kept him from flying off.

The jet stopped before him and continued to hover in the air as the hanger doors opened. Superman was quite surprised by what he saw. The small group gathered before him on the hanger reminded him of the Justice League. Each wore a type of costume he'd never seen before. Perhaps they were a new start up group that wanted to join the League?

"Wow, that's him?" the one clad in a red and yellow suit asked.

"Check out the size of his biceps," the man holding a bow muttered. "They're as big around as my thighs."

Superman couldn't help but grin. They obviously didn't know he could hear them or else they wouldn't have said those things. Did they not know who he was?

"Right," said the man in America's colors, "we'll see if we can reason with him first. If not…"

"We'll smash!" said the green monster behind the rest.

"There will be no smashing if we can help it, Hulk," a blond man said. He held a large hammer in his hand.

Superman paused. He stared at the hammer as if he considered analyzing it further but then he dismissed the thoughts. He had more important things to worry over besides a hammer. Deciding to be the one to make the first move, he flew over to the hanger.

"Watch it!" the only woman in their group warned.

They all became defensive as he glided to a stop. "You obviously don't know who I am," Superman said, folding his arms, "Or else you wouldn't have spoken as if I couldn't hear you."

"Who are you?" the American costumed man asked.

"I'm Superman," he answered. "And who are all of you? I've never seen you before."

"I'm Captain America, this is Iron Man, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Thor," he said, pointing to each member of his team.

Superman surveyed them all. They looked like a good team; they had the chemistry of working together. Superman was no fool. He knew of good stock when he saw it. Perhaps he could convince them to join in his cause.

"You all look like good heroes," he said. "I'm assuming you're heroes and not villains."

"We are," Captain America confirmed.

Superman nodded. "I could tell. You can rest your unease because I'm a hero as well."

"Oh really?" Thor challenged, stepping forward. "We were informed that you had other intentions for Midgard than to protect it."

Superman raised an eyebrow. "Midgard?"

"He means Earth," Iron Man explained.

Again, Superman had an inkling to consider Thor more deeply but like before, he ignored the thought. "I can assure you my intention is to protect Earth," he said. "I have protected it long before any of you came into the picture."

"Oh really?" Iron Man said. "Because as far as I know, the Avengers are the first superheroes to ever be known on Earth."

Superman's brow furrowed. "I've never heard of the Avengers. Is that what you call yourselves?"

"Yes," Captain America said. "We're Earth's Mightiest Heroes."

Superman scowled. "I'm afraid you've got that mixed up. The Justice League are the defenders of the Earth. We have been since we were founded ten years ago."

Iron Man turned to Hawkeye who rotated his finger near his temple. Superman noticed and in a second flew right up into Hawkeye's face like a general would to a soldier. "Do you have something you wish to say to me?" he demanded.

"Wow! How did you get over here so fast?" Hawkeye cried, stepping backward.

Superman stayed in the air as he folded his arms. "Look, I don't know what all of you are doing here but I'm very busy."

"You're looking for someone," Black Widow said.

Superman eyed her suspiciously. "And if I am?"

"We want to know what you want with her," she demanded.

"It's none of your business," Superman said. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

Captain America grabbed his hand. In anger, Superman thrust him away. Captain America went flying backwards, slamming into the wall.

"Wow, what did you do that for?!" Iron Man demanded as Black Widow rushed over to see if Captain America was injured.

"Word to the wise," Superman snapped, "don't touch me again."

"We just want to know what your motives are for being here," Thor said. "What is your plan concerning the Earth?"

Superman scowled. "I plan to rule it. As heroes you understand full well that no matter how many times you clean up a mess, people return to destroy everything you've rebuilt. I'm through with being the Earth's personal maid. I'm going to rule this planet and bring peace to every people. And if there are any who rebel or come between me and this noble cause, I'll eliminate them permanently."

The Avengers didn't miss the threat. He was obviously saying join me or get out of my way.

"A hero would never try to become a dictator," Iron Man stated. "A hero stands for truth, justice, and the good of the people."

"Which is exactly what I plan to do by ruling over the humans," Superman stated, clearly frustrated. "Do you not see that it is better for them to have someone to govern them instead of watch them parade from day to day in chaos? Admit it, no matter how many times you save them, some fool rises to endanger their lives. Keeping them under my protection would signify the preservation of their race."

"You speak of humans as if you are not one," Thor said.

"I'm not."

"Then where are you from?" Thor inquired.

"I'm from a deceased planet called Krypton. My birth parents sent me to Earth as a child so as to be a protector of the planet. I was to be their inspiration, their guide, and I am. Everyone looks up to me."

"I don't know what Earth you're talking about because I've never heard of you," Iron Man said. "And frankly, I'd never look up to someone who wants to be a dictator. You know something, Superman, the last time we had someone try to rule over the planet, we stopped them. And if you try to make this planet a place for you to rule, we'll do the same thing to you that we have done to everyone else. We'll destroy you."

Superman breathed out a frustrated sigh. "Then you are of no use to me either. I cannot have anyone preventing me from doing what I know is best. Do all of you agree with Iron Man?" From their expressions he knew they did. He surveyed them. "Such a pity. I'm sure you all would have been useful in the new world I'm going to build."

Before he could even move, a giant green fist came out of nowhere and punched him right in the face. Superman went flying backwards into the side of the Empire State Building, sending a large crack through the stone.

"You talk too much!" Hulk screamed, launching himself out of the jet.

Superman met the Hulk in midair, pulled back his own fist, and connected it with the green monster's jaw. Hulk soared through five buildings, causing glass and debris to rain down upon the citizens of New York. Spiderman flew down on the scene to stop several large pieces of cement from crushing a group of people. After making sure his web was secure he looked back up at Superman and yelled, "What's your problem, man? You're going to hurt someone!"

Superman didn't reply because the Hulk had emerged and was galloping down the street, picking up cars and tossing them at the Man of Steel while roaring in anger. Superman punched through the first car, sliced the second with heat vision, and flew through the next four to collide again with the Hulk. They started beating each other up, their blows causing shock waves. Glass shattered, car alarms went off, people screamed, and the Avengers took action.

Superman picked Hulk up by the wrist and was in the process of swinging him around when the others dropped from the jet onto the asphalt. Superman sent Hulk flying into the bay. Captain America threw his shield, smacking Superman in the back of the head. The Man of Steel whirled around only to be met by one of Iron Man's energy blasts. It sent him flying into a department store. The blast didn't really hurt him physically but it was powerful enough to knock him off his feet. Before he was able to get his bearings, Thor came thundering into the department store, his hammer flying into his chest. Slamming into the concrete wall, it took a moment for Superman to pry himself out of the debris.

Frustrated, he sent a wave of heat vision towards Thor. The Asgardian deflected it with his hammer, sending the blast into the nearest mirror, shattering it instantly. Superman took advantage of the distraction and shot towards Thor like a bullet. A shock wave knocked over shelves, displays, and unfortunate shoppers as Superman's fist connected with Thor's face. Thor's body soared out into the street, knocking Iron Man over in the process. Superman pursued but was grabbed around the middle by a furious Hulk who threw him violently into the ground and proceeded to use him like a punching bag.

After the tenth time Hulk's giant green fists smashed down, Superman put on a burst of speed and flew into the air, taking Hulk with him. Punching him repeatedly further and further into the atmosphere, Superman let out all his rage and frustration. After propelling Hulk twenty feet ahead of him, he zoomed past him, laced his fingers together, and slammed his hands into Hulk's back. The massive creature plummeted to the earth. No sooner was Hulk out of the picture, Thor appeared, swinging his hammer like a madman.

An enormous thunderstorm appeared and Thor and Superman exchanged blows, their fists, elbows, calves, and even heads colliding over and over again. After Superman dealt Thor a clean uppercut punch, the Asgardian whirled his hammer above his head and lightning leapt from his eyes. "For Midgard!" he screamed shooting towards Superman like a bullet. Lightning danced and thunder clapped as Thor smashed into Superman with all the strength he could muster. The Man of Steel whirled downward, creating a crater the size of a football field as he connected with the ground. Debris, glass, and a broken car rained down upon him.

The Avengers gathered around the crater. Superman didn't reappear.

"Good job, Thor," Iron Man said, clapping him on the back.

Thor nodded since he was breathing too heavily to speak. Hulk lay unconscious on top of a dented semi.

"Do you think Hulk will be alright?" Spiderman asked, joining the Avengers after making sure his webs holding debris were still secure.

Before anyone could respond, a grinding noise filled the air as the Earth began to shake. All of a sudden, Superman emerged from the crater, a slight trickle of blood flowing down the side of his mouth which he wiped away with the back of his hand.

"What is this guy made of?" Iron Man asked, firing off every missile in his upper armor towards Superman.

The weapons exploded, sending the Avengers diving for cover from the blast.

"Tony, the next time you fire off your entire arsenal, tell us first!" Captain America shouted angrily from behind his shield.

All of them looked up as the smoke began to clear. Superman came flying out of the thick vapor straight for Iron Man. One punch was all it took to send him flying through seven buildings.

"Tony!" the Avengers cried in unison.

Iron Man did not respond. Angrily, Captain America charged towards Superman who stood ready for him. Cap pulled back his fist as he launched himself into the air. Using all the force he could muster, he punched Superman's jaw. The effect was good, sending Superman flying into a parked car, but Captain America cried out as pain shot up his arm.

"Cap!" Hawkeye shouted, rushing over. "Are you alright?"

Cap nodded. "Hurts to move the arm," he muttered through clenched teeth.

Superman pried himself out of the car. Hawkeye grabbed an arrow and took aim. He'd chosen one of his explosive arrows. Launching it at Superman, it ignited on impact but he simply continued to walk towards them. Spiderman threw some of his web blasts which covered Superman's face. Before anyone could celebrate, a glow of red melted the web away. In a flash, Superman smacked Spiderman in the side of the head with the back of his hand, sending him careening into a building. Black Widow rushed forward, attempting to deliver a round house kick to Superman's chin. Instead, she screamed out in agony as a crack rent through the air after making contact. She crumbled to the ground, her leg sticking out at a weird angle.

Superman looked down at her without pity as she breathed heavily. Just as his eyes began to glow red, Hawkeye appeared, smacking him upside the head with his bow. The weapon shattered as it made contact with Superman's skull. The Man of Steel turned to look at a shocked Hawkeye with a raised brow. Smirking, he punched the archer and Hawkeye went tumbling end over end into the pavement. Thor cried out in rage, rushing forward with his hammer. Asgardian and Kryptonian plunged once more into a series of flying fists, shockwaves of savage wind and lightning digging into the sides of wrecked buildings.

"Why do you keep fighting?" Superman demanded as he punched Thor.

Thor spit blood as he responded, "Because we refuse to allow you to take over the Earth. This is our home and as long as we live, we will protect it."

Superman grabbed Thor by the neck. Staring into his deep blue eyes, the Kryptonian smirked. "You're all doing such a bang up job. If you haven't noticed, all your companions have fallen before me! I cannot be defeated. Surrender!"

"Never!" Thor growled.

Superman tightened his hold on Thor's neck. "Then die," he spat.

Thor screamed in rage as he swung his hammer, smashing into Superman's wrist. The jewel of his bracelet shattered, the red pieces turning to dust in the midst of electricity. Thor noticed a strange red glow burn over Superman's eyes and suddenly his expression turned to one of utter shock and horror. His grip immediately loosened and Thor punched him, sending him flying into a wall. Drawing back his hammer, Thor let out a cry as he rushed forward to pound Superman into the concrete. Just before he was about to thrust Mjolnir into Superman's chest, Thor saw a look of utter devastation cross Superman's face. Thor faltered.

Superman's eyes surveyed the scene. All the Avengers were wounded. Using his x-ray vision, Superman saw Iron Man wedged under a stone pillar of a building that was about to collapse. Without a second's thought, he flew past Thor in a blur of red and blue, racing to save Iron Man before he would be crushed. Crashing through several layers of solid rock, Superman reached Iron Man just as the building began to cave. Grabbing Iron Man around the middle, Superman took off. Just before the building collided with the ground, Superman burst into the street. He carried Iron Man back to where the other Avengers were. Thor watched him in absolute disbelief. Superman set Iron Man down and x-rayed him.

"He appears to have head trauma," he said. Looking at the others, he noticed Captain America's right arm had fractured just below the elbow, Black Widow's leg was cleanly broken although the bone wasn't protruding from her flesh, and Hawkeye's wrist was twisted. The Hulk's skeleton was like a human's, though much larger, and it appeared that he didn't have any broken bones. He was simply knocked out. Superman observed Thor. He too didn't have any broken bones though one of his ribs was cracked. All of them had multiple bruises except for Hulk and Iron Man, the latter because of his suit.

"You all need to get to a hospital," Superman said.

Thor breathed heavily, eyeing him with distrust. "Are you not going to finish us off? That's what you want, isn't it?" He spat blood.

Superman shook his head. "Believe me, the last thing I want to do is hurt people."

Thor actually began to laugh. "Then what do you call this?" he demanded, waving his hand over the mass destruction all around them.

Superman cringed as he noticed unmoving bodies amidst the debris. Guilt and horror burned his insides. "I swear, I didn't mean for any of this to happen! It was the Kryptonite!"

"The what?"

"Radioactive pieces of my home planet," Superman explained. "There are several different types. That red rock you destroyed with your hammer was Red Kryptonite. It turns me into something of a monster. You have to believe me!"

Thor's eyes continued to display mistrust. "I'm afraid I'm having a difficult time believing someone who destroyed half of New York and nearly killed all of my friends."

"Your friends need a hospital," Superman said. Sirens could be heard in the distance. "And so do you. Your right lower rib is cracked."

"How do you know?"

"I have x-ray vision."

Several police cars and ambulances arrived on the scene along with ten black vehicles. An African American with a black eye patch stepped out of one of the black cars along with fifty men loaded with guns. All of them were pointed at Superman. Even the paramedics weren't moving forward to help the Avengers onto stretchers. Everyone eyed Superman apprehensively.

"I'm not going to fight anyone," Superman said.

"And how are we supposed to believe that?" the man with the eye patch inquired.

"These people need to get to the hospital," Superman said. "Arrest me if you want but help them first. I'll come quietly."

After a moment, the man nodded and two men rushed forward to handcuff Superman while the paramedics set to work loading the Avengers onto stretchers and into the ambulances. Superman allowed the men to lead him towards the man with the eye patch. As he passed Thor, Superman met his eyes. The Asgardian still eyed him with distrust before pushing past to assist in helping the paramedics with the Hulk. After being roughly shoved into one of the black cars, Superman glanced out the windows at the mass of destruction he had caused. Upon seeing the dead, his eyes weld up with tears.

"What have I done?" he whispered.

**I based the red kryptonite version of Superman slightly off of the Smallville TV series. He was able to do a lot of damage to the Avengers and knock out the Hulk because he wasn't holding back as much as he usually does when fighting people. **

**Reviews are love! :)**


	13. Aching of the Heart

**AN: Thank you all for giving this story so much attention and love! Things start to get even more complicated for our heroes in this chapter and it's only going to get worse! But don't worry, things will work out in the end. They always do... right? **

13: Aching of the Heart

Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen mingled amongst their guests, politely accepting the repeated congratulations. They were slowing making their way towards the exit when a waiter stopped in front of them, offering a tray filled with champagne. Bruce reached forward to grab a glass but froze when his eyes lay upon a face card on the tray. It was the King of Hearts, a symbol the League associated with Superman when trying to communicate in public locations. Bruce looked up at the waiter who gave him a look of disdain.

"We need to leave," he muttered to Oliver.

"What? Why?"

Bruce pointed at the card and Oliver's eyes widened as he finally looked from it to the waiter. He recognized the Martian's murky brown eyes mingled with red. They started for the exit in a rush when someone stepped into their path.

"Well if it isn't Lex Luthor," Bruce Wayne said, recovering his composure first.

"I would congratulate both of you for expanding your companies but I don't find it appropriate," Lex said.

"Oh? And why not?" Oliver asked, slipping into a similar masked calm to that of Bruce.

Lex stepped closer to them and whispered, "This is my city and if either of you attempt to take away the business that rightfully belongs to me, I'll destroy your companies along with your reputations in Gotham and Star City."

Bruce laughed. "I'm afraid I don't have that much to lose in regards to my reputation." Oliver snorted in quiet laughter. But then Bruce became just as serious as Lex. His voice dropping quietly he muttered, "But if you even attempt to destroy my company, you'll regret it, Luthor."

"Queen Enterprises shares the same opinion," Oliver said with a wicked grin. "All's fair in business, Lex. The people are the ones who decide whether a company is worth their attention or not. Whether you fail or succeed won't be because of us but the people of Metropolis."

Lex scowled. "Watch your back, Queen. I'm sure you have plenty of skeletons you would rather keep in your closet."

Oliver scoffed. "As if you don't have ten times as many skeletons that I do. Now, if you'll excuse us Luthor, we have business to conduct."

Oliver made sure to push a little into Lex's shoulder as he and Bruce left the room. "I hate that guy," he muttered as Bruce punched the elevator button. "What was he even doing here?"

"Well, judging on the conversation, I think he was threatening us to get out of Metropolis," Bruce said as they stepped into the elevator.

"Like we'd ever do that," Oliver scoffed.

After the doors dinged shut, a transparent figure dropped down from the ceiling. Bruce and Oliver watched as Jon Jonzz materialized.

"Jon, what's happened?" Bruce demanded.

"Superman has been affected by Red Kryptonite," he answered.

Oliver gasped. "You've got to be kidding!"

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "What does Red K do to him?"

"This is bad," Oliver muttered before explaining the effects of the red rock. "It basically turns him into the exact opposite of himself," he finished.

"So we have to strike him down long enough to get the Red Kryptonite off him before he can put his plans into action," Bruce surmised. "Good thing I carry around Green Kryptonite."

"What?! You of all people know that stuff can kill Clark," Oliver said angrily. "Why on earth are you carrying it around?"

"For occasions such as this one," Bruce retorted. "You never know when you might need it."

"Remind me to never get on your bad side," Oliver muttered.

"Jon, where's Clark now?" Bruce asked.

"Zatanna sent him into a portal that supposedly took him to his apartment," Jon answered, "But when Lois called, he didn't pick up the phone. He could be anywhere by now."

"Wait, why was Zatanna with him?" Oliver asked.

"She did not say," Jon replied. "She simply informed us of the situation, stating that she convinced Superman not to do anything until he consulted with Lois."

"And Clark went along with that?" Oliver said, surprised.

"It makes sense," Bruce muttered. "Clark wouldn't want to rule the world alone. He'd want to make sure Lois supported him before going after the world leaders."

"If Lois is still at Watchtower, he'll be heading there," said Oliver.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a jet in an underground basement. "Which is why we're heading there right now," Bruce said, punching down the button on a remote he'd retrieved from his pocket. The doors opened and a platform descended.

"Nice ride, Bats," Oliver commented as he followed him up the ramp.

"You'll find your suit in the corner," Bruce said, pointing to the location.

"How did you get this?" Oliver cried in slight alarm.

Bruce grinned. "I had Alfred steal it from your car earlier. There was a possibility that we would have to make a quick getaway so I decided it was better to be prepared."

"Alfred broke into my car?" Oliver groaned in disdain. "You're paying for the damages."

"I'll take that as a thank you," Batman remarked in his guttery voice.

Green Arrow continued to mutter grumpily as the jet raced down a runway that opened up just outside of Metropolis bay. Martian Manhunter sat quietly in one of the passenger seats, exercising his telepathy towards the other Justice League members. They informed him that Superman hadn't arrived though they sounded distracted in their response.

_What is going on?_ Jon thought.

_Zatanna just informed us the real reason Clark came in contact with Red Kryptonite, _Wonder Woman answered.

Jon suddenly heard Lois and Zatanna through Wonder Woman's thoughts.

_You IDIOT!_ Lois yelled_. How could you even think that Red Kryptonite would be the perfect way to give Clark a break?! Do you not remember what it did to him in the past?!_

_In the past he was immature, Lois, _Zatanna retorted. _He's an adult now. His desires have changed._

_You're darn right they have!_ Lois cried. _Now he's bent on taking over the freaking world! _

_He won't do anything before he gets your consent._

_And how do you know that?_

_Because he loves you! He doesn't want to rule this world alone._

_And you think I'm just going to sit back and agree with him? _

_You might have to in order for us to get the Red Kryptonite off._

_This is all your fault! The Earth wouldn't be in jeopardy if you hadn't felt the need to mess with Clark's life!_

_I wanted to give him a break! _Zatanna screamed. _He was in dire need of some time away from being a hero. I could tell that when he was here he'd rather be at home with you and Jason. Every hero needs a break once in a while, Lois! Besides, didn't you confess to him that you really wanted to go on a vacation?_

_YOU LISTENED TO ONE OF OUR PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS?! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! _

_I wanted to help!_

"Oh dear," Jon muttered, pulling out of Wonder Woman's thoughts.

"What is it?" Green Arrow asked.

"We just might find a murder when we reach Watchtower," Jon sighed.

"What do you mean?" Batman demanded, forcing the jet to head out of Earth's atmosphere.

Jon explained Zatanna's plot to give Clark personal leave. "At the moment she and Lois are screaming at each other."

"I wouldn't be surprised if we found them fist fighting," Batman muttered. "It was foolish of Zatanna to do such a thing."

"Red Kryptonite is not something you should mess with," Oliver said. "It's better for it to stay as deep in the Earth as possible. We should have gotten rid of it along with the green stuff."

"I wish we had," Batman growled. "Then we wouldn't be having this problem."

They arrived at Watchtower ten minutes later. Reaching the council room, they found Lois fuming with her back to them, looking out the window towards Earth. Zatanna was nowhere to be seen. Jason and Thora were sitting in the corner holding hands and looking worried. Wonder Woman greeted them.

"Green Lantern had to take Zatanna to the base's hospital," she muttered. "Lois beat her up pretty bad."

"And you didn't stop her?" Green Arrow asked.

"Would you?"

"No," Batman muttered. "An angry wife is not something that I'd ever like to get in a fist fight with, especially if it's Lois Lane."

They all looked over at the infuriated reporter again. Lois turned around, finally noticing they had company. "Did you see him at all?" she asked, displaying the first signs of worry.

Batman shook his head. "No. We figured he'd be here since this is where you are."

"That's what we thought," Aquaman said, "But he hasn't arrived."

"That's weird," Green Arrow muttered. "He knows Lois is here. You don't think he decided to do something on his own?"

Batman went over to the central computer and started to type furiously against the keys.

"What are you doing?" Aquaman asked.

"Each one of us has a tracking device on our suits," Batman muttered.

"Oh yeah," Green Arrow said, excited. "You can track him!"

Everyone rushed over to the computer screen, waiting anxiously as Batman pulled up the right file. The other members of the League flashed over the display of Watchtower but Superman's was located down in Metropolis. Batman zoomed in. A second later the screen displayed the rooftops of Metropolis's warehouses near the docks.

"Jon and I will go," Wonder Woman said.

"Wait," Batman muttered, halting them. Reaching into his belt, he pulled out a piece of Green Kryptonite.

"Where did you get this?" Wonder Woman said.

Batman narrowed his eyes. "You didn't think I would allow all of the Kryptonite to be thrust out into space, did you? I held on to a few pieces for emergencies just like this. And before anyone freaks out, Superman gave me permission to keep them."

Everyone seemed surprised by this except for Lois. "He had me keep some as well," she muttered.

Everyone turned to look at her. "Batman is right. If Clark was ever going to turn, he wanted to be sure to have some fragments left behind to stop him. Batman and I were the ones entrusted to hold on to them."

Wonder Woman took the meteor rock from Batman and then kissed him full on the mouth. "I'll be careful," she whispered.

The rest of the League held expressions of shock. None of them had known that there was anything between Batman and Wonder Woman. Batman didn't go around promoting his love life and Wonder Woman, well, nobody ever thought she'd settle for a man.

Ignoring the others, Batman smiled. "Don't let him sneak up on you."

"We won't," Wonder Woman promised. "Come on, Jon."

Martian Manhunter followed after her without a word. Using telepathy, he promised to keep everyone informed with what was going on once they reached Metropolis.

Green Arrow turned to Batman and grinned. "Bats, I had no idea!"

Batman ignored him, deciding to pay attention to his computer screen rather than anyone else in particular.

Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter reached the warehouses twenty minutes later since they flew as fast as they possibly could. Through telepathy Batman guided them towards Warehouse 249. Wonder Woman thrust the door open and the two stepped cautiously inside. Amidst an obnoxious scene of streamers and balloons, they searched around all the craters only to find the place completely vacant.

"He's not here," Wonder Woman muttered.

Martian Manhunter bent down near the doorway and picked up Superman's transmitter. "Wonder Woman," he called, holding it up.

She groaned. "Do you think he took it off?"

"No. According to Zatanna's story, she was here with him the whole time until he flew into the portal she created. It must have fallen off at some point."

Informing the others through telepathy of what they found, everyone on Watchtower groaned.

"He could be anywhere," Lois muttered. "Where would he have gone?"

Thora suddenly stepped forward, studying Batman's screen. She gasped. "I know that place!" she cried.

"What?" Jason said, coming to a halt next to her.

"Jason, that's the warehouse where I woke up!" She turned to Batman. "Zatanna said she had Superman go through a portal, right?"

"Yes," Aquaman answered.

"My Uncle Loki threw me through a portal at my birthday party!" Thora said. "And I landed in that warehouse!"

Everyone stared.

"You don't think…"Batman trailed off.

"He could be where I'm from!" Thora cried. "He could be on Asgard!"

o0o0o

For the next four hours Superman sat in a cell, his hands in cuffs that were chained to the wall. He didn't even attempt to escape. His state of mind wallowed in a sea of guilt. All those people dead…because of him. He'd ruined families. He'd destroyed lives. For the thousandth time, he buried his face in his hands and wept, not caring that on the other side of the wall several people were watching, including the man with the eye patch.

How could he ever live with himself? He envisioned the tears shed by all the families he'd broken. He wagered the damages he'd caused to New York and the overtime people were going to have to work to fix everything. Not to mention the expenses of the business owners whose stores had collapsed. Superman was sure he'd also taken out a series of apartment complexes with his fight against the Hulk. All those people were now in need of homes; the ones that had survived at least. That last thought caused another fresh wave of guilt and tears.

Superman longed for Lois. Every time a tragedy struck, she knew exactly what to say. She would allow him to weep openly into her shoulder. Her gentle hands would run repeatedly through his hair and over his shoulders. Occasionally she would plant a kiss on his lips, his cheek, or his forehead. She would give him the physical comfort he needed in order to cope with the anxiety of not being able to save souls and for being partially responsible for mass destruction.

But this had been one of the rare occasions where he'd been the source of the devastation. True, he had been under the influence of Red Kryptonite, but he still felt responsible for all the people who had died because of his selfish actions. Not to mention this world's heroes had nearly been killed by his hands.

He shuddered as he recounted how close he had been to ending Thor's life. If Thor hadn't reacted when he did and shattered the bracelet, Superman would have done something he would have regretted forever the second he was off the influence of Red K. The people who had died were due to the falling debris and glass, not that it was inexcusable, but it was easier to cope with than if he had physically choked Thor to death with his own two hands. People had died in previous battles he'd encountered with villains; the guilt and pain wasn't easier then than now. This time was worse because he had been the villain.

Superman briefly heard someone on the other side of the wall report that fifty people had died with over two hundred more injured. His heart constricted. Two hundred fifty people; all because of him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly through his fingers. "I'm so sorry."

He didn't have any more tears to shed. Again, his heart ached for Lois. He tried to envision her coming into the room. He imagined her standing in front of him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. He could hear her heartbeat and the sound soothed him. She ran her fingers through his hair, bent down, and kissed his forehead. Superman lowered his hands from his face, breaking the trance. Someone was about to come in.

The door opened and in stepped Nick Fury. Superman knew his name from overhearing someone earlier. Nick Fury eyed him with distrust as he pulled up a chair and sat down. Sighing he said, "You caused a lot of trouble today."

Superman hung his head. "I apologize. It was never my intention to hurt anyone."

"Then what was your intention?" Nick demanded. "Fifty people died, two hundred more are injured, the Avengers are out of commission, and there's probably over a hundred billion dollars in damages that need to be repaired. Did you intend for that to happen?"

Superman sighed. "The honest answer is yes and no."

"Care to explain that?"

Superman looked him straight in the eye. "One thing you must know about me, Nick Fury, is that I never lie. Ever."

Nick raised an eyebrow but didn't ask how Superman knew his name.

When he didn't respond, Superman continued. "The planet I came from was destroyed years ago. Desirous to save me, my birth parents shipped me off to Earth shortly after I was born. I was raised in Kansas and grew up not knowing anything about my heritage until I was in my teens. My arrival was in the midst of a meteor shower; the gravitational pull of my ship carried some fragments of my planet with me across galaxies. The meteor rocks contained radioactive pieces of my home world called Kryptonite. There are several different types of Kryptonite. Green Kryptonite is the only thing that can kill me. Red Kryptonite alters my personality and causes me to be irrational and destructive. Unfortunately, I was under the influence of Red Kryptonite upon my entrance into your universe."

"What happened to it?" Nick asked.

"Thor destroyed it as I was choking him. If he hadn't, I would have done something I would have regretted for the rest of my life."

Nick's brow furrowed. "You said that you entered into my universe. What do you mean by that?"

"Have you ever heard of alternate universes?" Superman asked, sighing in exhaustion.

"I've heard of different realms, thanks to Thor. Is that what you're talking about?"

Superman shook his head. "It's not the same thing. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I'm not from this universe."

"And how can you be sure of that?"

"Because everything I call home is missing, including my wife and my son."

"What do you call home? What are your wife and son's names?"

"I grew up in Smallville, Kansas but the city I usually look over is Metropolis. Its nickname is the Big Apricot. And no, it's not New York City; where I'm from they're two different places. My wife is Lois Lane, the greatest reporter who works for the Daily Planet which resides in Metropolis. My son's name is Jason Kent."

Nick Fury studied him a moment more. "I've never heard of either of those places. And if your wife is supposed to be a famous reporter, I'd know her. I guess I'm going to have to believe you're telling the truth."

"I am," Superman said with complete sincerity. "Would it be possible for me to speak with Thor?"

Nick raised an eyebrow. "I'm not so sure that would be a good idea. I don't want to have to clean up another bloodbath."

"Please, it's important that I speak to him," Superman insisted.

Nick sighed. "Alright but I'm only giving you ten minutes. If he's in here longer with you, I'm sure he'll start tearing limbs."

Superman smiled sadly. "I'd like to see him try."

Nick looked at him questioningly but didn't say anything as he left the room. Twenty minutes later, Superman saw Thor coming down the hall by using his x-ray vision. Thor did not look happy. It was obvious that it was taking a lot of self control for him to reign in his emotions before willing himself to open the door and come in.

"I was told you wanted to see me?" he said, anger clearly behind the words.

Superman stared. There was no denying it. He'd had a lot of time to think as he wallowed in his grief. One thing he'd immediately realized was that Thor was sure to be Thora's father. As he looked over the man before him, it was clear that his assumption was correct. They had the same blond hair and blue eyes. Not to mention the similarity in the outfits and the hammers.

"You're Thora's father," Superman said.

Thor's eyes widened. "You've seen her?" he whispered. Superman nodded. Thor rushed forward and grabbed his shoulders. "Where is she?" he demanded, shaking him slightly.

"She's in a different universe!" Superman answered. "Before you throw your hammer in my face, let me explain."

Thor hadn't realized that he'd pulled back to swing Mjolnir. He lowered his hammer, looking slightly sheepish. "Alright," he said, "tell me everything."

"I'll tell you everything I know," Superman promised.

What was once a ten minute visit turned out to be an hour. Superman noted that since he'd brought up Thora's name, S.H.E.I.L.D. decided to leave them alone. Thor listened with rapt attention, only interrupting to ask a question of clarification. Superman ended his tale with why he'd attacked the Avengers and the effects of Red Kryptonite.

"Believe me, if I had been myself, I never would have hurt anyone," Superman finished.

Thor nodded. "I believe you. You are a different man than the one I first met."

"Are the others alright?" Superman asked.

Thor nodded. "When I left the hospital they were finishing things up. They should be heading here afterwards."

Superman sighed. "I'm glad they're going to be alright. I've made such a mess. Your world will probably never trust me."

"Probably not," Thor admitted. He looked upon the Man of Steel with slight pity.

"What should we do now?" Superman asked.

"We must find Loki," Thor said. "You encountered him when you first appeared in this world, correct?"

Superman nodded. "He seemed pretty enthused about my desires of world domination."

Thor rolled his eyes. "My brother has always wanted a throne of his own."

"From what Thora told me, that doesn't seem too surprising," Superman admitted. "Do you think he'll still be by the portal I came through?"

"Perhaps," Thor muttered. "He might have changed the location after you came out of it. We won't know until we find him."

"Any ideas of where to look?"

Thor shook his head. "None that I have on hand. We'll have to discuss this with the others. I'm sure we'll be able to come up with something."

Superman nodded. Thor eyed him for a moment before inquiring, "You said Thora and your son are close."

Superman could hear the protectiveness in his voice. "They're very attracted to each other."

"Thora is strong," Thor said. "Her power is equivalent to half my own."

"Jason is the same way," Superman answered.

"I want to meet him," Thor demanded.

Superman couldn't blame him. If he had a daughter, he'd want to know who she was dating too. "When we get things figured out, I'll make sure you do," he promised.

Thor nodded. "Thank you."

Superman looked up. "The others are here."

"How do you know that?" Thor asked.

"Someone on the other side just announced their arrival," Superman replied. "I'll explain my abilities once we're all together. I'm probably going to have to tell my tale again so that they don't end up trying to kill me."

"I'll be sure they hear you out," Thor stated.

"I appreciate that."

o0o0o

"Twenty four hours and not a single scrap of news," Perry said after putting down the phone for the hundredth time. Lois, Richard, Lana, Jason, and Thora all sat in his office.

"If Clark was on Red Kryptonite, you said he'd be front page news, right, Lois?" Richard asked. "Lois, are you alright?"

Lois hadn't responded. In fact, she looked sick. "I'm fine," she finally muttered, her eyes closed.

Perry came over and felt her forehead. "Hmmm, you don't have a fever."

Lois immediately opened her eyes and jumped on the defensive. "Chief, I'm not sick!"

"Don't give me that kind of crap, Lane, you're as white as a sheet!"

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you," she said, standing up. "I'm going to see if the League has heard anything." And she stormed out before anyone could stop her.

Perry sighed. "She hasn't been this stressed since Clark left fifteen years ago."

Everyone stared after the famous reporter until she turned the corner. Thora gave Jason's hand a squeeze. "I think she'll be okay," she whispered.

Jason nodded. "I just wish Dad would show up already."

Thora remained silent. The Justice League would have opened the portal that Superman went through right after Thora's epiphany but Zatanna was still recovering thanks to Lois. The reporter had done some pretty heavy damage. Zatanna had a broken arm and a slight concussion by the time Lois was through with her. Everyone silently agreed that Zatanna deserved it but they mourned over having to wait for her to return to consciousness since she was the one who knew what portal needed to be opened. The longer Superman was missing, the more agitated everyone felt.

After Lois was sure to be out sight of the Editor's office, she rushed to the bathroom. Her stomach heaved just after she'd locked herself in the stall. Shakily wiping her mouth, Lois groaned. She hadn't been sick in a long time. Hoping this wasn't the stomach flu, she flushed the toilet and went to rinse her mouth out in the sink. Her reflection scared her. Deep purple circles clung underneath her eyes. Though she would never admit it to his face, Perry was right; she _was_ as white as a sheet. Lois swallowed painfully and another wave of nausea caused her to rush back into the stall.

"What is going on?" she gasped. "I was fine this morning."

Weakly, she leaned against the stall and looked up at the ceiling, trying to keep herself from throwing up a third time. Breathing deeply, she decided to distract herself by thinking about Clark. If he was still on Earth, he would have found her by now. He'd told her many times that he could hear her heartbeat anywhere around the world. Maybe…maybe he didn't want to find her? If Clark wanted to hide from everyone, he would. Could he possibly be working in the shadows instead of upfront? He'd be a real criminal if he was. He'd been around enough scum to know how they ran their business.

Lois shivered. No, she refused to think he'd never want to come back to her. He loved her. She loved him. If Lois ever turned evil, she'd want him to be with her, even if his views were different than hers. Sighing, Lois got control of her stomach and left the bathroom. Without even really paying attention to where she was going, Lois found herself exiting the elevator and walking up the stairs to the roof of the Daily Planet five minutes later. Opening the door, she was met with a blast of sunlight. Immediately Lois's sickness disappeared.

"No way," she muttered.

There was only one other time in Lois's life when sunshine made her feel better and that was when she was pregnant with Jason. Could she really be? Though she was in her early forties, it was still possible she could be pregnant. Even so, the thought caused her to panic. She'd heard the horror stories of mother's in their forties dying in childbirth. Maybe she wasn't pregnant. Maybe the sun just made her feel good because it reminded her of Clark. Lois leaned against the edge and put her head down.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Lois nearly leapt out of her skin as she whirled around. "BRUCE! Don't do that!" she cried, holding her heart.

Batman crept out of the shadows with a slight smirk. "Sorry, sticking to the shadows is a bit of a habit."

"Even in broad daylight," Lois muttered.

Batman nodded. He studied her for a moment. "Lois, how are you feeling?"

Lois sighed, tilting a little to lean her back against the roof's edge. "I'm alright. Have you heard anything?"

"No. Personally, I think Thora's assumption is correct."

Lois tried not to panic. "So we need Zatanna. Is she awake?"

"That's why I'm here. She woke up about thirty minutes ago. She's not very happy to admit you kicked her butt without any powers."

Lois smirked. "I'll bet."

Batman lightly chuckled. "You've earned the respect of every member of the League, minor and major. It's obvious to them why Superman married you now."

Lois grinned. She couldn't deny she was thrilled to hear that. Trying to mask her pleasure, she said, "Well, being the wife of a superhero means you have to be tough."

"You're the only married couple in the League for that reason," Batman muttered.

"Are you and Wonder Woman ever going to tie a knot?"

Batman looked away slightly, almost as if he were embarrassed. "Let's save that conversation for another time. Zatanna and the others are going to meet us down by the warehouses in twenty minutes. Are you prepared to go?"

Lois nodded. "Let me get Jason and Thora. I'll try to dissuade Richard and Lana from coming but I can't guarantee anything."

Batman nodded. "I'll meet you down in the parking lot."

Lois raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. It wasn't usual for Batman to affiliate himself with others. Bruce Wayne, however, was a different story. Lois left the roof wondering if she was going to meet up with Batman or Bruce Wayne. The second she was out of the sun she felt sick again. Fighting down a fit of nausea, Lois got into the elevator and hit the button that would take her to the bullpen. She leaned her forehead against the side of the elevator, the cool metal slightly relaxing her. The second the doors dinged open, she forced herself to snap into an upright position. The nausea that followed was terrible. The sun was pouring in through the windows. Lois made sure to walk in its rays as she strode down the bullpen. Again, her sickness went away. Ignoring the slight wave of panic over her latest assumption, Lois entered Perry's office.

"Your uncle is going to meet us down in the parking lot," she said, looking at Jason.

Jason's temporary confusion was lifted when he realized she was talking about Batman. "Oh, cool! I didn't think he'd be the one to come."

"Where are you going? And what uncle are you talking about?" Perry asked.

"We're going to the warehouses and the uncle is from Gotham," Lois muttered.

Perry's eyes widened, catching on. "_He's _here?"

Lois nodded. "Richard, Lana, I'd rather you didn't get involved but you're both adults so I can't stop you from coming."

Richard looked to his wife who shook her head. "We'll stay here in case Clark shows up. It's one of his favorite places, after all. Several people should be here."

Richard seemed disappointed but he agreed. "That's a good idea. Just keep us in the loop, alright?"

Lois nodded. "We will. Jason, Thora, let's go."

Reaching the parking lot five minutes later, Lois looked around.

"Over here," came a voice from the shadows to their left. Batman stepped out. Using a remote, he signaled the Batmobile which came thundering around the corner.

"How on earth did you even get that thing past security?" Lois demanded.

Batman grinned. "Let's just say the police might be showing up soon so we'd better hurry if we don't want to be delayed."

Lois groaned.

Jason was beside himself with excitement. "I can't believe we're actually going to ride in the Batmobile! Only a handful of people have had this kind of privilege."

"Hurry up and get in," Batman ordered.

Jason and Thora crammed into the back while Lois was given the passenger side. Batman hopped in behind the wheel and turned the Batmobile around with frightening speed. Lois's stomach lurched.

"Batman," she gasped, "for my sake, please don't make sudden movements."

He looked over at her. "Lois, you're as white as a ghost. Are you alright?"

Lois closed her eyes. It took everything just to keep herself from vomiting all over Batman's car. He'd love that for sure.

Jason leaned forward, concerned. "Mom? You were pale earlier and your heartbeat is a little faster than normal. What's going on?"

"I'm just really stressed," Lois muttered.

"Hang on," Batman warned.

They'd come to the exit. Jason's eyes widened. The security gate had been completely destroyed, the remains still littered across the ground. The guards were trying to clean up some of the debris when both leapt out of the way so as not to get run over by the Batmobile.

"You could have slowed down," Thora said as she gripped Jason's hand tightly.

"There was no need to," Batman muttered. "They were smart enough to get out of the way."

Thora pursed her lips but Lois laughed weakly. Jason couldn't help but grin either. That was a typical Batman response. Batman weaved in and out of traffic, even braving three yellow lights and one red. They reached the warehouses within fifteen minutes, a record. The rest of the League was already standing around, waiting. Zatanna's left arm was in a cast. The second they got out of the Batmobile, Lois rushed to the side and threw up.

"Lois!" Batman rushed over.

Lois wiped her mouth. "I'm okay," she muttered, turning to face the sun. The rays soaked into her skin, instantly soothing her.

Batman's eyes narrowed. "What are you hiding, Lois?" he muttered as the others rushed over to see if Lois was okay.

"Not now, Bruce," Lois whispered. Putting on a brave face, she stood up. Thankfully she wasn't nauseated from the movement. The sun had done it's work. "I'm alright," she assured the others. "Batman just drives like a lunatic."

Flash grinned. "I guess you prefer men that can fly to men that can drive, huh?"

Lois returned the smile. "You know it."

Batman continued to watch her suspiciously but didn't comment.

Lois eyed Zatanna. "I'm not going to apologize," she said.

Zatanna nodded. "I don't expect you to. This way; the warehouse is over here."Leading the group, Zatanna made her way down the long stretch of pavement before coming to Warehouse 249. She pointed up at the broken window. "That's where I made the portal. I decided to have it in the air so people wouldn't accidentally step through it. I wasn't planning on anyone coming out of it, though." She eyed Thora. "You must have flown out after I'd left."

Thora nodded. "I remember the glass cutting into me. Thankfully, Asgardians heal rapidly, even half Asgardians."

"Is the portal still open?" Hawkgirl asked.

"No," Zatanna answered. "I closed it after Superman flew through."

"Well, let's not waste time," Lois said. "Open it again."

Zatanna frowned. "Don't rush me, Lois. I'm having difficulty with spells since I'm not at my full strength thanks to you."

Lois folded her arms. "Like I said, I'm not going to apologize."

"I'm just stating the facts, Lane," Zatanna snapped.

Lois rolled her eyes and walked away, leaning against a crate.

Jason turned to Thora while Zatanna continued to summon her strength to perform the spell. Thora appeared uneasy. Jason squeezed her hand. "Hey, are you okay?"

Thora looked at him. "I'm…I'm nervous," she admitted.

"Why? This might be your ticket home!"

Thora suddenly looked angry. "Do you not care if you never see me ever again?"

Jason's mouth dropped. "O-Of course I do! I didn't mean- Thora, come on, you honestly don't think I want to get rid of you?"

"You seem fine with sending me off," she muttered.

"That's not true!" Jason said fiercely. "Thora, I don't want you to go away but I also know that you want to see your family again."

She sighed. "You're right."

"So, why are you nervous?"

"I want to go home," Thora admitted, "but what if I never see you again? Don't you see? I'm not simply from a different sector of the galaxy. I'm from an entirely different universe, Jason. I don't exist here. Neither do my parents or any of my friends."

"But you're here," Jason pointed out. "If it wasn't possible for you to be here, you would have been destroyed the second you went through the other portal."

"I know," Thora said, "But just because I'm here now doesn't mean that I'll be able to be here later. There isn't a way for us to communicate from one universe to the other to open the portals at the same time."

"Then how do you know my dad is where you're from?"

"Because my parents have been looking for me," Thora said. "They would have a portal open to make sure I get home."

"I thought you said that your uncle had opened it."

Thora smiled. "It is because my uncle opened it that I know my parents are watching to see if I return. The second my father found my uncle, he would have forced him to open the portal again."

"How can you be so sure?" Jason asked, skeptical.

"Believe me, Jason. I know my family."

Jason stared into her beautiful blue eyes and nodded. "Let's hope my dad didn't tear apart your world then."

"It would take a whole lot to destroy my people," Thora said confidently.

Jason frowned. "You obviously are overlooking the fact that the only thing that can really stop my dad is Kryptonite. If what you say is true about you being here, then there's nothing _from_ my universe _in_ your universe; which means Kryptonite doesn't exist."

Thora's eyes widened. "You're right! And if he's that strong…." She shook her head. "No, the Avengers would not be defeated easily. They will fight until their last breath."

Jason couldn't bring himself to speak his thoughts_. I hope it doesn't come to that._

"Got it!" Zatanna cried. The air before them shimmered like rippling water before stilling a second later. "I sense another portal is already open. You'd better hurry. We don't know when it will close."

"Alright," Green Arrow said, "Do we just hop in?"

"What else are we going to do?" Batman asked. "If the heroes from Thora's world are battling against Superman, they're going to need all the help they can get."

"But what about our universe?" Green Lantern asked. "We can't leave it defenseless."

"I will stay," Martian Manhunter volunteered.

"No, we need your skills, Jon," Batman said.

"I'll stay," Aquaman said.

"So will I," said Green Lantern. "I'm the protector of this sector. If I need help, I can call in the other Lanterns."

Wonder Woman nodded. "That would do. What do you think, Batman?"

Batman nodded. "It's the best option in the present situation." He then looked around. "Where's Lois?"

This caught everyone's attention.

"She didn't go through the portal did she?" Hawkgirl asked.

"No," said Zatanna. "I've been watching it the whole time."

"Then where did she go?" Flash asked.

Everyone started looking around. They'd only been waiting twenty minutes. She couldn't have gotten far. Flash did a speed search on the ground while Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and Thora searched from above. Batman, Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Jason looked through the closer warehouses while Zatanna stood guard over the portal.

"Nothing," Flash reported a minute later.

The others returned from the sky with the same news.

"I should have paid more attention," Jason cried.

"Jason, now is not the time to act like your father," Green Arrow said. "He would have blamed himself too."

"I should have heard her heartbeat," Jason argued. "I should have heard a scuffle."

"It's my fault," Thora muttered. "I was telling you all my stupid insecurities."

"Enough with the guilt trips," Flash ordered.

"The important thing right now is to find out where could she have gone," Green Arrow pointed out.

Jason still looked guilty but he didn't argue. Batman surveyed the area one more time. That's when he noticed something he hadn't before. Glinting in the lowering sun was one of Lois's pearl earrings. There was a faint speck of blood. More alert than ever, Batman crouched down to the ground and picked up the earring.

"What'd you find, Bats?" Flash asked.

"Lois didn't just walk away," Batman said. "She's been kidnapped."

"How do you know that?" Green Lantern asked.

Batman held up the earring. "Someone must have hauled her away without us noticing."

"Who would be dumb enough to steal someone from underneath our noses?" Flash asked.

"Someone that doesn't fear us," Wonder Woman said.

"But we would have heard them struggle," said Green Arrow.

"Not unless Lois's mouth was covered," Batman muttered, walking further away from the others, studying the ground. It took seconds for him to find what he was looking for. Like lightning, he grabbed the clothe in between two crates and sniffed it. "Just what I thought," he said, recognizing the fumes. Lois's lipstick was smeared over one side. Turning to the others, he displayed what he'd found.

"That explains why we didn't hear her cry out but why didn't we hear a struggle?" Martian Manhunter asked.

"Lois wasn't feeling well earlier," Batman pointed out. "I don't think she put up a struggle. The earring could have been ripped from her ear when her abductor surprised her from behind."

"Great, first Superman now Lois. Is Jason going to disappear next?" Flash said.

Everyone quickly looked around but relaxed when they saw Jason among them. "What are we going to do now?" he asked.

"We'll stick with the original plan," Wonder Woman answered. "We'll go through the portal in search for Superman. Green Lantern and Aquaman will stay behind and look for Lois. Jason, maybe you should stay as well."

"What? Why?"

"Your abilities would serve a greater purpose in finding your mother than your father," Wonder Woman pointed out. "We're going to be using Kryptonite on Superman. You wouldn't be able to help us."

Jason opened his mouth to retort but Batman silenced him with a look. Clearly despondent, he nodded. "Fine."

Thora was torn. She looked from Jason to the portal and back again. "I don't want to go without you," she said.

Jason heard the fear in her voice and hugged her. "Thora, you need to go home and let your parents know you're alright. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be waiting for you when you come back."

Thora didn't even want to entertain the thought that she might never see Jason again. She had to. She kissed his cheek and pulled away. "Don't go somewhere I won't be able to find you," she said.

Jason nodded. "I won't. I promise."

"Let's go," Wonder Woman commanded. "We don't have much time. Zatanna, guard this portal like your life depended on it. Keep it open no matter what."

"Will do," Zatanna promised.

Thora joined the Justice League minus Green Lantern and Aquaman as they walked into the portal. She glanced back at Jason one last time before stepping into the Vortex after Martian Manhunter.


	14. Parallel

14: Parallel

After retelling the rest of the Avengers everything he knew about Thora and his universe, including the different influences of Kryptonite, Superman found himself flying next to Thor, heading for his home. Thor had invited him to stay at his house until they found Loki. Superman was more than willing to just sleep out in the atmosphere but Thor insisted he stay at his house on Earth. Thor was a fast flyer when he wanted to be and Superman had no troubles keeping up. They reached New Mexico half an hour after leaving New York. Superman became alarmed when he realized that Thor was about to touch down in the middle of his lawn in full armor.

"Maybe we shouldn't land right in front of your house," Superman suggested.

Thor looked at him strangely. "Why?"

"Won't people recognize you?"

"Yes."

"But, what about your secret identity?" Superman asked.

Thor continued to look bemused. They'd stopped to hover fifty feet in the air and were beginning to draw attention. "I don't have one. Why would you want to hide who you are?"

Superman looked perturbed. "Where I come from, every hero has a secret identity. It's for protection purposes."

"Interesting," Thor mused. "Everyone knows who the Avengers are. Our identities are not a secret to anyone, including our enemies."

"But, doesn't that make life difficult?" Superman asked.

Thor shrugged. "Sure but we deal with it when it comes. There are a few heroes in this universe who do protect their identities. Spiderman is one of them."

Superman could hear several people conversing, trying to figure out who the new hero was with Thor. "Do you mind if I disappear and meet you in a moment?" Superman asked. "Call it habit but I don't feel comfortable with civilians knowing who I am."

"Of course. How will I recognize you?"

Superman smiled. "I'll introduce myself as Clark Kent."

"Ahhh that is your mortal name? Like Iron Man's is Tony Stark?"

"Yes," Superman said. "I'll see you in a minute."

In a burst of speed, he disappeared from the sky; not even Thor could see where he'd gone. Admiring Superman's speed, Thor descended. The neighbors didn't seem the least bit surprised when he touched down and walked up the garden path to his front door. Several people even waved. Thor returned the gesture. He liked living in this small town. Everyone knew each other so when strangers appeared they stood out like a mile. Jane was well protected with them. It also helped that a few members of S.H.I.E.L.D. were dispatched here to keep an eye on her; they pretended to own one of the local grocery stores.

Thor opened the door. "Jane, I'm home," he called.

Jane rushed around the corner. "Thor! I saw what happened on the news. Are you alright?"

Thor kissed his wife lovingly. "I'm fine. It was all a big misunderstanding."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "That guy nearly killed you and the others. Not to mention the casualties and hundreds of people who were injured."

"Jane, it wasn't his fault. He was being controlled," Thor explained. "We were able to free him from the trance and the second we did, he submitted without a fight. He's been through quite an ordeal. I've invited him to stay with us. In fact, he should be coming over soon."

"Oh," Jane muttered, surprised. "Um, does he eat? I mean- is he hungry?"

"I'm sure he will be," Thor said. He then caught the smell of garlic bread and spaghetti coming from the kitchen. "Smells good."

Just then the doorbell rang. Jane made to get it but Thor indicated that he would do so. He opened the door and there stood a man wearing a blue tee shirt, a red jacket, and blue jeans. A pair of black rimmed glasses sat on his straight nose over a pair of deep blue eyes.

"Clark Kent, I assume?" Thor asked.

Clark smiled. "The one and only."

"Come inside," Thor invited.

"Thanks."

Jane eyed the man skeptically. She'd seen Superman on TV from a picture someone had taken off their cell phone during the battle in New York. Clark Kent didn't look like him. Clark didn't carry himself the way Superman did and the glasses were perfect; they were the kind that would cause people not to look twice.

"Is this your usual disguise?" Thor asked.

"It's the look," Clark answered, "but usually I pretend to be clumsy too. If I act too much like myself, people would spot me easily."

"I'd say," Jane said. "There are not a lot of people that are over six feet tall."

"Allow me to introduce my wife. This is Jane Foster."

Clark gently shook her hand. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm sorry I caused such a problem for your husband."

"That's okay. Thor said it wasn't really your fault. Are you hungry? I just finished making dinner."

"Come, Superman," Thor invited cheerfully. "I doubt you will have tasted a finer meal on all of Midgard!"

"Please, call me Clark," he said with a smile. "It's what my friends call me."

"I'm honored," Thor said. "Usually friendships take longer to form."

"I'm a fairly good judge of character," Clark replied.

The two of them arrived in the kitchen where the table was set for two. Jane busied herself with grabbing another plate and fork. "I'm sorry," she said, placing it on the table hastily. "I didn't realize we'd be having company. I haven't set the table for three since…" she trailed off, suddenly looking sad.

Thor grabbed her hands. "Jane, Clark knows where Thora is."

"WHAT?! And you didn't bother to mention that sooner? Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Clark assured. "She's safe."

"Where?" Jane demanded looking from Clark to Thor and back again. "Why isn't she with you if you know where she is?"

"Jane, calm down," Thor urged. "Clark has already had to explain it twice today. Give him time and he'll tell you everything he knows. But can he do it while we eat? I'm starving."

"Fine," Jane said distractedly, sitting down.

Thor grabbed a large piece of garlic bread before dishing up a healthy portion of spaghetti. "Help yourself, my friend," he said cheerfully, passing the food to Clark.

"Thank you." Clark set to work piling his plate while filling Jane in on his tale. He hardly deviated from the words he used earlier to the Avengers and to Thor. Jane perked up when Clark mentioned Jason.

"Is your son like you?" she asked.

"He's still developing abilities similar to my own but super strength and invulnerability have already set in," Clark answered between mouthfuls of garlic bread.

"And you said Thora and he are close?" Jane probed.

Clark smiled. "Yes. Thora is a wonderful girl. You both raised her well. When we are able to go through the portal, I'll make sure that you get to meet Jason. He's a good boy."

"I don't doubt it," Jane said. "You seem very kind to me. If your son is anything like you, I approve."

"Agreed!" Thor said, raising his mug of cream soda high before guzzling from it deeply. Draining it, he made as if to throw it to the ground.

"Thor!" Jane warned.

Thor paused. "Sorry, dear, force of habit."

Jane's smile was slightly exasperated. "I know. I just don't want you to break another one. Asgardian tradition is to throw your mug on the ground after you've drained it," she explained to Clark. "Anyway, go on, Clark. What happened next?"

Clark continued up until the point where Thor had freed him from the Red Kryptonite. By the time he'd finished, dinner was over and they were halfway through dessert. Jane seemed speechless. "This is all…"

"Strange?" Thor suggested.

"Well, yeah," Jane said. "I mean, I'm not as shocked about the whole thing like I would have been a few years ago. When Thor showed up in my life, my perspective on a lot of things changed."

"For the better, I hope," Thor muttered.

Jane leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Of course." Sitting back, she turned to Clark. "So you're from a whole different universe. The portal you came from must be some kind of bridge like the Bifrost except it rips a hole from one universe to another."

"All my life I thought the Vortex was only part of our universe but apparently I was wrong," Thor said. "It must be a common object in all universes."

"Then why hasn't this happened before?" Jane mused.

"I think it's because it was by chance," Clark answered. "I'm sure the likelihood of having two different portals from two separate universes share the Vortex's space is almost zero to none. This is what I'd call a freak accident."

"True, but this accident has happened twice," Jane observed. "First with Thora and now with you. How often do you think it will happen?"

"I don't know," Clark answered. "The difficult thing is that there doesn't seem to be any way to communicate between universes to open portals at the same time."

"There might be a way," Thor muttered. "I will have to talk to my father. He will want to hear your tale, Clark. Thora is his favorite granddaughter."

"She's his only grandchild," Jane pointed out.

"All the same," said Thor, "he would like to know what is going on. Could you come with me to Asgard tomorrow?"

"Sure. I've been really curious about these nine realms that you keep mentioning."

"Great! We'll leave in the morning."

Jane looked at the clock. "It's getting late. Clark, I'll show you to the guest room. You look like you're around Thor's size. I'll bring you some sweats to sleep in."

"Thank you both," Clark said. "I'm very grateful to be staying in your home."

"It's our pleasure," Thor replied.

"Thor, show him where the bathroom is," Jane said, "while I get the room ready."

After being shown the bathroom and guest room and having a pair of Thor's sweats, Clark bid Thor and Jane goodnight before closing the door. He flopped down on the mattress and sighed, feeling incredibly exhausted. He really needed to get a sun charge. Battling against all of the Avengers on Red Kryptonite had left him drained. Conveniently there was a window large enough for him to get in and out of. Quickly changing into his suit, Clark opened the window. Making sure the coast was clear, he leapt into the air and took off for space. He figured he'd only be gone for half an hour.

o0o0o

Little did Superman know, far below him in New York City, the Justice League had just emerged, scaring Loki out of his wits.

"What the devil is going on here?" Loki demanded. "Who are all of you and where in the nine realms did you come from?"

"Uncle Loki?"

Loki started. "Thora?"

Despite the fact he'd thrown her in the portal that started this whole mess, Thora rushed forward and hugged him around the middle. She had missed her world so much that even Uncle Loki was a welcome sight. Surprised, but secretly pleased, Loki returned the gesture. Before his affection became obvious, he grabbed Thora by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "Where have you been?" he demanded.

"It's a long story, no thanks to you," Thora said, suddenly remembering that everything was his fault. "But first you need to tell us if you've seen Superman."

Loki decided to play ignorant. "Who?"

"Superman," Thora repeated. "Uncle, he would have come out of this portal just like we did. Have you been watching it the whole time?"

"For the most part. I could have looked away occasionally."

Batman stepped forward and grabbed Loki by the collar. "You're lying," he growled. "You did see him. Tell us where he is."

Loki yanked himself free. Batman was surprised by his strength but didn't show it openly. Loki eyed him and the other League members with distaste. He could tell just from the look of them that they were heroes. "More creatures like the Avengers," Loki mused aloud. "I shouldn't be surprised. I assume Superman is an enemy of yours."

"He's our friend," Green Arrow stated.

Loki raised his eyebrows. "Do heroes on your planet try to take over the world?"

"That's why we have to find him, Uncle Loki," Thora said, exasperated. "He's not himself. Something is controlling him. We have to find him and stop him before he does anything he'll regret."

Loki grinned wickedly. "Why would I help to stop chaos? You should know I don't meddle with that sort of thing, Thora. That's your father's job."

"Uncle, please, he's my friend."

Loki frowned. "I think I'd rather kidnap you."

"Try anything and I'll make sure you will be unable to move, let alone speak," Wonder Woman warned.

Loki didn't have to wonder if her threat was real. The fire in the woman's eyes was enough to convince him. Sighing, he said, "Alright, I'll tell you what I know. He destroyed half of New York City and placed all the Avengers in the hospital before S.H.I.E.L.D. showed up and hauled him away. After that, I know nothing."

"How did they take him?" Batman demanded.

"He let them," Loki answered.

The League shared a glance. All silently agreed that the only reason Superman would surrender is if the Red Kryptonite had been removed. "We need to find him," Hawkgirl said. "Where is this S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"I know how to get in contact with them," Thora stated. "Uncle, you need to keep this portal open."

"And what if I don't?" Loki asked. "As far as I'm concerned, you're home now. There's no point in keeping it open."

"The Justice League needs to get back to where they belong after they find Superman."

"Not my problem," Loki said with a yawn.

Thora suddenly had an idea. "Well, if you really aren't strong enough to keep it open, I guess I can go to Odin and ask him for his help. It's pretty complicated magic. Maybe you don't want to keep it open because you can't."

Loki froze. "You dare to suggest that I am incapable of keeping open a simple gate?"

Thora shrugged. "You're the one who wants to close it."

Loki scoffed. "I'll keep the portal open, you silly girl. My magic will always be superior to Odin's."

"We'll see," Thora challenged. "We'll be back soon. Let's see how strong your magic really is."

Loki grumbled incoherently as she walked away with the League following behind.

"That was brilliant," Flash complimented.

Thora grinned. "When it comes to my uncle, all you have to do is compare him to Odin and he'll do whatever he can to beat him even if Odin isn't directly involved."

"Clever," Batman muttered. "Using an opponent's weakness in such a way to bend their will to yours is an admirable trait. You'd do well in Gotham."

"Thanks. Now, come on, we need to find Superman before Loki figures out what I did."

"Where are we going to start?" Martian Manhunter asked.

"I've got to make a phone call," Thora muttered, searching for a pay phone.

o0o0o

Lois groaned as she opened her eyes. Her head pounded something fierce against her skull. The last thing she remembered was sitting on a crate near Warehouse 249 shortly after throwing up. Looking around, she found that she was in some kind of office. There were no windows, which explained her upset stomach. Lois pinched her nose between her fingers. The door suddenly opened behind her and Lois nearly leapt out of her skin when none other than Lex Luthor walked through the door.

"Lois Lane," he said with a sadistic grin, "it's been, what, ten years? You still look as lovely as ever."

"Lex Luthor," she replied, looking him over, "nice to see you still haven't managed to grown any hair."

Lex smirked but didn't respond. Instead he set a couple news papers on the desk along with a cylinder object made of silver. Lois's eyes bulged slightly as she noticed Kryptonian symbols embedded into the cylinder's surface. Lex watched her silently.

"Why did you bring me here, Lex?" Lois asked. "Isn't kidnapping me getting old?"

"On the contrary," Lex countered, "it's even more exciting than robbing a bank or ruining someone's reputation. I quite enjoy the banter as well as the unfailing routine of the Man of Steel swooping in to save you from my clutches. You would think we were part of some twisted entertaining story with the way the three of us dance. It would make quite the tale, wouldn't it, Mrs. Lane? Or is it Mrs. Kent now?"

"You know its Mrs. Lane, Lex," Lois replied. "A reporter keeps her name no matter what."

"Is that the real reason? Or did you keep it so that your husband could call you by your maiden name the way he did when you met all those years ago for his first interview?" Lex asked wickedly as he threw down a copy of the Daily Planet. The front page story was the first interview she'd ever had with Superman.

Lois's eyes widened in horror as her heart skipped a beat. She stared at the headline, thinking fast. He'd called Superman her husband! Had he figured it out? She had to play dumb! Maybe he was simply fishing. Well, she wasn't going to reveal anything to him. Putting on a look of confusion, Lois cocked an eyebrow and looked back up at Lex. "I think you're confused. My husband is Clark Kent not Superman."

Lex rolled his eyes and leaned against the desk, looming over her with his arms folded. "Lois, do you really think I'm a fool?"

"Do you want me to answer that?"

"No!" Lex snapped. Reigning back in his temper, he smiled. "I'm not an idiot. You dumped Richard White after a three year engagement only to turn around several months later to marry Clark Kent, a man who returned after traveling the world for five years. Superman was gone for five years. They both reappeared at the same time. Then there's the matter of your son, Jason. Nobody would want to marry you and help raise Superman's son except Superman himself. Quite ingenious of Superman to disguise himself as a reporter.; he could get as close to danger as he wanted, ask as many questions as needed, for the sole purpose of performing what he feels is his responsibility to save people. And to think most people haven't even realized who he is! How long did it take you to find out, Lois? Don't tell me he actually had to tell you himself? I pray that you really aren't that naive."

Lois made a futile attempt to play dumb. "I don't have any idea how you came up with the thought that Clark is Superman. Have you ever watched him? There's no way he could be Superman!"

Lex raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? For the last ten years I have had your family on surveillance. The excuses your husband comes up with to get away from crowds are the stupidest things I've ever heard. And I thought aliens were supposed to be intelligent!"

Lois scowled. "Shut up!"

Lex grinned. "I seem to have struck a chord."

Lois stared at him in hatred. "You obviously have spies in the Daily Planet."

"Of course. I make it a point to be close to my enemies. That is the way the saying goes, does it not? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?"

"If you've known all this time, why haven't you exposed Clark?"

"Ahhh that was the question I was waiting for. You see, knowledge is power, Lois. I can do greater damage to Superman if I keep such priceless information to myself."

"That's twisted. What right do you think you had to spy on us?"

"I had every right," Lex snapped. "He's an alien! He doesn't belong here."

"Clark grew up on Earth," Lois retorted. "He's just as much a human as you are."

"Heresy!" Lex shouted. "Human beings do not fly, Lois! They don't shoot lasers from their eyes! They can't see through walls or defy bullets! We live, grow old, and die. That is our nature. Clark Kent is a menace that must be permanently eliminated."

"It's not your place to decide who deserves to live or die, Lex!"

"It is the right of every human being to protect the Earth which in they live," Lex replied. "And if the rest of the world is foolhardy enough to believe Superman deserves to live here, then it's left to me to remind all of them that aliens are a threat."

"Clark is not a threat! He has always protected us, even you! Why do you hate him so much?"

Lex stared at her angrily. "You will never open your eyes to see what he's doing, will you? He was sent here to Earth as a baby to learn how to live among humans so that we would trust him. His birth parents made sure to send him to a place where he could study the heart of American people, Smallville, Kansas. If Jonathan and Martha Kent had been true to their country, they would have turned that alien over to the Government the second he landed in that town. Instead they committed treason against humanity and raised him as their own! They refused to see his oddities as a threat. Instead, they saw them as gifts! How ludicrous! And then, the most abominable crime occurs; you allowed him to accomplish what his race sent him here to do."

"And what might that be?" Lois snapped.

Lex pulled a picture out of the stack of newspapers on the desk and slapped a photograph of her son into her lap. "This monstrosity," Lex seethed, pointing at Jason's face, "is what I'm talking about, Lois. Do you honestly think the alien really loves you? Can't you see that the only reason he decides to be around you is so he can use you to breed his spawn?" Again he pointed at the picture of Jason; her Jason.

"If you think that," Lois cried, outraged, "you're even more delusional than I thought you were."

Lex slammed both hands onto the arms of Lois' chair. His face inches from hers, he narrowed his eyes. "Jonathan and Martha Kent may have betrayed mankind by raising the alien, but you, Lois, have doomed us all to extinction. You helped to create the most abominable creature to ever walk the Earth! You've bred with an alien!" He looked upon her with disgust. "I can't bear the fact that you procreated with an extraterrestrial than a human being."

Lois slapped Lex with all the force she could muster. Lex staggered back, rubbing his cheek. Anger propelled Lois to her feet. Shaking with fury, her face beet red, she retorted in rage, "You foolish, hind sighted, egotistical simpleton! How dare you! First off, how dare you pry into Clark's life! And then you accuse him of trying to destroy mankind?! Are you so incredibly blind that you can't see that everything he's done from the moment he came to Earth until now has been for the good of our race? Jason is a miracle! And he will continue in his father's footsteps to protect the world from people like you who are so conceited to believe they have the right to rule the world themselves."

Lex struck Lois with the back of his hand. "Shut up!" he shouted.

Lois fell back into her chair. Tasting blood, she wiped her mouth.

Lex loomed over her. "I will not allow you to poison the rest of us with your delusions!" he cried.

"What are you going to do, Lex? Kill me?" Lois challenged.

Lex smirked. "On the contrary; I'm going to destroy you and everything you hold dear, starting with your husband and then your son. I have plenty of scientists who would love to discover more about Jason's…origins."

"Don't you dare harm either of them!" Lois shouted, leaping to her feet again.

Lex grabbed her by the wrists and yanked her forward. His face inches from hers, a maniacal glint glittered behind his black eyes. "There will be little you can do to stop me, Lois. When an infection enters the body, it does everything in its power to destroy it. You have infected mankind with a virus that must be destroyed. I will see to it that Clark and Jason are given the same fate. Don't worry; soon you will find that neither of them exists and mankind will be free from them and their spawn."

Forcing her back into her chair, Lex strode across the room and slammed the door. Lois made to go after him but found the door locked from the outside. Slamming her fists against the cold metal, she cried, "Lex, you can't keep me in here! Let me out, or so help me, I'll write a story about you so terrifying it will cure your baldness! If you dare touch my family, I'll kill you! I'll kill you, Luthor!"

Her head spun violently and Lois stopped pounding on the door. Sinking to the floor, she breathed deeply. Lex was going to kidnap Jason! He was going to lock him up in a lab to have people experiment on him. And rarely did a scientist keep their specimen alive when their project was over. The second they learned everything they could, they'd kill her son. And she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Lex would kill Clark the second he reappeared. He knew Clark's identity. Horrified, Lois envisioned Lex walking into the Daily Planet with a gun full of Kryptonite bullets. Clark would be dead before he knew what hit him.

She had to get out of here! Looking around, Lois's eye suddenly found the cylinder. She'd forgotten to ask Lex what it was. Since it was obviously Kryptonian due to the symbols, the item belonged the Clark not Lex. Glancing behind her, she reached forward and picked it up. She would have thrown it in her purse which was still somehow slung over her shoulder but she noticed that the symbols didn't exactly line up. Now was not the time to be giving in to curiosity but Lois couldn't help it. She twisted the cylinder so the symbols would match.

A shockwave rippled through her body as a flash of light temporarily blinded her eyes. The cylinder disappeared from her hands and she felt like her body was floating in a thousand different pieces. The strange sensation lasted for two seconds before the light disappeared. Opening her eyes, Lois looked around. She was in the middle of Metropolis.

"How the heck did I get here?" she wondered aloud, twisting around full circle.

She was standing in the middle of the road, the sun beating down upon her neck. Her nausea went away as she soaked in the rays. Not wanting to get run over but wondering how on earth she was back in Metropolis, Lois rushed to the sidewalk. Several people looked at her strangely but didn't stick around to ask questions. In fact, they all kept glancing nervously up at the sky.

Just as Lois was about to grab someone and ask what was going on, a man came rushing around the corner. He barreled into Lois full force and both toppled to the ground. Lois's hip slammed into the concrete and immediate pain raised a cry from her throat. The man who'd run her into the sidewalk got up hastily without even bothering to apologize. He sprinted across the street, terrified. Before Lois could shout insults at him, a blur of red and blue shot out of the sky. Superman grabbed the man by the arms and raised him into the air.

"I'm sorry!" the man cried. "Please, don't kill me! Please!"

"Then you shouldn't have robbed someone," Superman said, loosening his grip.

The man grabbed onto him to keep himself from falling. "No! Please, I needed the money for my family! My daughter is sick!"

"Why didn't you take her to a hospital?" Superman demanded coldly.

"I was going to," the man explained hastily, "but I needed the money first. Because of taxes I couldn't afford the medical bills. Please, have mercy."

Despite the pain, Lois got to her feet. "Hey!" she shouted.

Superman turned his cold eyes away from his captive. "Ma'am, I suggest you return to your-" but he paused. His cold eyes widened with shock and disbelief. He dropped the man, who fell to the ground. Thankfully he was only three feet in the air. Scrambling, the man dashed around the corner. Superman ignored him completely. His expression still one of bewilderment, he descended to the ground and walked across the road, not even bother to check if the coast was clear. Several cars had to swerve out of the way. Superman stopped in front of her. Raising a shaking hand, he touched her cheek.

"This can't be," he whispered quietly.

"What are you doing?" Lois hissed, shying away. She looked back and forth. Everyone was staring. "We're in the middle of Metropolis!"

Superman pulled Lois into his arms and kissed her full on the mouth. Lois naturally responded. Even though he was acting strangely, she was glad to see he was alright. Temporarily forgetting that they were in the middle of a crowded street, Lois pulled away but stayed in his arms.

"I'm so glad you're alright," she said. Then she froze, remembering the Red Kryptonite. She searched for the red rock.

"What are you doing?" Superman asked, confused.

"The Red Kryptonite," Lois said, "that's got to be why you're acting this way." She looked up and down but the bracelet Zatanna had described was nowhere to be found.

"I'm not on Red Kryptonite," Superman said. "I haven't been exposed to that for years."

Lois lowered her brow in confusion. "But, you had it on you when you went through that-"

Before she could say more, Superman pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again. This kiss was full of longing, like it had been the first time they'd kissed after his return to earth ten years ago. It was filled with passion, him trying to convey to her his need. His hands snaked their way through her hair, crushing her lips further into his own. Lois found herself sliding her hands up his chest over the S symbol. She pushed away slightly to breathe.

"Clark," she whispered, her head slightly fuzzy, "what has gotten into you?"

"You're real," he whispered back, searching her hazel eyes. "You're real," he repeated.

He buried his nose into her hair, kissing her ear gently. "Real," he muttered, leaving a trail of kisses along her jaw line back to her mouth.

Lois shivered. "Of course I'm real," she muttered. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He froze. Pulling away, he stared at her more intently.

"Are you x-raying me?" she asked.

Superman didn't answer. "You're not a clone," he muttered, both bewildered and relieved.

"Of course I'm not a clone," Lois replied, terribly confused.

She glanced around. They were drawing a lot of attention. A crowd wasn't forming, neither were there any paparazzi, but people were obviously staring. They seemed afraid though, as if they were terrified of coming any closer.

"Superman," Lois warned, stepping away, "I'm married now. I know you may have feelings for me but we agreed to be nothing more than friends."

Superman's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about? Everyone knows we're married. They all found out after the accident."

"What accident?" Lois asked, confused.

"Lois, you died."

Lois paused, slightly shocked. "What? No I didn't."

Superman stared. "Yes, you did. Lex Luthor killed you."

Lois staggered backward. "No, he was just talking to me. He left me alone. I didn't die. I just picked up that cylinder thing." Which, she realized, was no longer in her hands.

Superman lightly grabbed her shoulders, regaining her attention. "He killed you ten years ago, Lois. On the Gertrude."

Lois shook her head. "What are you talking about? You rescued us before you got rid of the Kryptonite Island." She stepped forward but then cried out, clutching her side.

"Lois!" Superman looked at her hip. "It's cracked. What happened?"

"I landed on it when that guy you were chasing slammed into me," she answered.

Superman suddenly turned mutinous. "I'll find and kill him for hurting you."

"What?! No!" Lois grabbed his arm, alarmed by his expression.

Superman looked at her wildly. "Let go, Lois. I need to find where that rotten snake went."

"You don't hurt people! You save them! Honestly, what happened to you? Why are you acting like this?"

Superman paused to stare at her. "I've changed."

For the first time Lois noticed the darkness in his eyes. It had never been there before. Suddenly scared, she took a step back. "What have you done?" she whispered. "You're not the same man I know. What happened to him?"

Superman's eyes filled with pain and anger. He stepped forward. "He died when you left, Lois," he whispered. "The hero you knew is gone."

Lois shook her head. "No," she whispered, though she knew he was telling the truth. The man before her was fierce and cold, his expression lacking the compassion and kindness it once displayed to mankind. It took Lois a moment to recognize the expression haunting her husband's eyes. It was the same she saw in Lex Luthor from time to time. It was the expression of one experienced with murder.

Superman stepped forward and the compassion Lois knew slightly surfaced. "I need to get you to the hospital. Come on."

And before she could protest, he gently lifted her into his arms and took off from the ground. Lois would have fought him but she was too terrified to try. Though it was ludicrous to think, this man wasn't her husband. He couldn't be. Clark would never kill anyone. He couldn't.

They touched down outside the hospital five minutes later. Superman refused to put her down. He even kicked the door open, causing it to fly off its hinges. "Clark!" Lois chided but he ignored her. Pushing passed the line of people to the receptionist desk, Superman cleared his throat.

"I demand assistance this instant," he commanded.

The receptionist didn't look up from her notes. "I'm sorry, sir, but you're just going to have to wait in line with everybody else."

Superman used his heat vision and blasted a small hole into the desk two inches above the woman's hand. She leapt back in surprise and stared at him in shock. "Do I still have to wait?" Superman demanded, "Or are you going to get the doctors?"

The receptionist's face drained of all color. "I am so sorry, Superman, I didn't know it was you. I'll fetch someone right away."

"I want the best doctor you have on staff," Superman ordered, "Or else."

"Yes, sir," she muttered, terrified, before barreling through the door.

Lois looked around at the others in the waiting room. Most of them had injuries far worse than her own, including all the people in line they'd skipped. She had expected to see expressions of anger but instead saw terror. Nobody wanted to come close to them. There was a five foot gap between Superman and the others in the room. The fear in their eyes was unnerving to Lois. Never in the history of her knowing Superman had she seen anyone look at him the way these people did. In fact, the people on the street had looked the same way. What had he done to deserve such a reputation? Why did everyone fear him? What had happened to _her_ Superman?

A doctor came rushing forward. "Superman, I apologize for the delay," he said quickly. "I was in surgery."

"If you had kept me waiting any longer I would have given you a reason to be in surgery yourself, doctor," Superman responded coldly.

The doctor flinched.

"That's it," Lois shrilled, "I've had enough! Put me down!" She pounded Superman's chest.

Superman ignored her. "She needs immediate attention and it had better be the best."

"Kal El. Put. Me. Down." Lois spoke quietly but the rage behind her tone was unmistakable. For the first time since arriving at the hospital, Superman looked down at her. She glared into his blue eyes, silently conveying that if he didn't do as asked, he'd regret it. Immediately, he set her down. Ignoring the shock on everyone's face, Lois jabbed her finger right into his chest. "I don't ever want to hear you talking to anyone like that again or so help me, I will infuse myself with liquid Kryptonite and there will be nothing you can do to stop me! And don't you dare say that all of its gone because I know for a fact that Batman keeps a reserve."

Superman's jaw dropped. "L-Lois…you wouldn't dare do such a thing!" he gasped, wounded.

Lois squared her shoulders despite the pain in her side. "I would!" she snarled fiercely. "I don't know what happened to you but whatever it was you should never have allowed it to warp you into what you have become." She looked him up and down in disgust. "I'm ashamed of you."

Superman looked at his boots. The doctor and the patients held disbelief. Lois stepped closer and tenderly lifted Superman's chin until she could make out his eyes. They were angry. Lois sighed. "Look at me, Kal El," she whispered. He brought his blue eyes up to her hazel ones. She smiled sadly. "I only tell you these things because I love you, you know that right?"

He blinked and then nodded. "I know, Lois," he replied quietly.

"Good," she whispered. Reaching on tiptoe, she kissed him gently. "I need to see the doctor," she said. "Will you stay? Or do you need to save the world?"

Superman held her close and buried his face into her hair. "The League can handle Metropolis for now," he muttered. "I need to be here."

Lois smiled. "Okay."

Superman pulled away enough to look at the doctor. What he saw caused him pain that he hadn't felt in years. The pain was guilt. Everyone was terrified of him; it was plain on all their faces. "Doctor, please do everything you can." He spoke gently but the man still remained terrified as he nodded and gestured for Lois to follow him. Superman felt his guilt renew from the doctor's terror. He made to grab Lois but she took his hand.

"I can walk, Kal El," she said gently.

They made their way down to the ICU and soon Lois was on a hospital bed being examined. Superman didn't leave the room. He leaned against the corner nearest to the door, watching the procession in silence. Before the nurse hooked her up with IV's, she asked a series of questions.

"Are you allergic to anything?"

"No."

"Are you pregnant or have been pregnant recently?"

Lois looked over at Superman who noticed the hesitancy. He stepped forward. "Lois?"

Lois swallowed. "I-I think I am," she admitted.

Superman started. "What?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure," she said to the nurse, unable to look at her husband.

"Have you ever been pregnant before?" the nurse asked, jotting things down on a clipboard.

"Yes."

"Are the symptoms similar?"

"The ones I've experienced so far are, yes," she replied.

"What are they, dear?"

"Well," she paused, looking at Superman. He'd come to stand right next to the nurse. "My pregnancies are different than others," she muttered.

"Each one is unique," the nurse responded, ignorant.

"No, I mean, mine are _really _different," Lois clarified.

"How so?" The nurse asked, a little annoyed.

"My pregnancy with Jason lasted ten months instead of nine," Lois said, "and before you say that sometimes happens, Jason was born premature. He had a lot of health issues. There were moments when the doctors thought he wouldn't make it." She paused and swallowed painfully from the memories. She was terrified she might lose this child. Jason was a miracle but was she really capable of getting another?

"What do you mean he was born premature?" the nurse pried, stirring her away from her thoughts.

"The birth of a half Kryptonian half human is different than a full human reproduction," Superman answered.

The nurse turned red as she realized for the first time that the woman lying on the bed was more than just one of Superman's rescues. "Oh," she muttered. "I apologize."

"That's okay," Lois sighed. "Can I just get an ultrasound? I'd rather not explain the symptoms since the first time I tried, nobody could help me anyway."

The nurse nodded. "I'll be right back."

The second they were alone, Superman turned to look at Lois differently. She knew he was x-raying her. The expression on his face was enough for her; he stepped backward, shocked. He looked at Lois in a new light. "It is mine, right?" he asked, bewildered.

Lois scoffed. "Clark, you can be incredibly dense sometimes. Of course it's yours! Who else's would it be?"

"I don't know," he replied, suddenly cold.

"You're kidding!" Lois snapped, suddenly angry. "You honestly think it might belong to someone else?!"

"Lois, you just magically appeared after being dead for ten years!" Superman snapped back. "How am I to know where you've been?"

"Listen here, you idiot, I feel weak and nauseous unless I'm in the sunlight. The only other time I've experienced that was when I was pregnant with Jason, and we both know you were nowhere to be found when that happened!"

Superman looked at her confused. "What are you talking about? Of course I was there! There's no way I would have let you go through that pregnancy alone!"

Lois stared. Something wasn't right. "No," she muttered, shaking her head. "You left me. You left Earth. You were gone for five years."

Superman shook his head. "Lois, you're confused. I've never left the Earth for anything."

"You left shortly after swiping my memories," Lois cried, slightly beginning to panic. "Scientists supposedly found Krypton and because of the memory swipe, you left. Little did you know our escapade in the Arctic got me pregnant with Jason, whom I had to raise on my own for five years until you came back."

Superman stared at her. "Lois, none of that ever happened. I didn't erase your memories. We found out you were pregnant and got married. We raised Jason. Lex Luthor found out my secret identity and released it to the public then he kidnapped you and Jason onto the Gertrude. He killed you with a kryptonite bullet before I could arrive. After I saw you lying there, dead, something came over me and I killed Luthor with my heat vision. He shot Jason in the arm the same time. I only managed to save Jason by extracting the Kryptonite bullet and flying both of us into the atmosphere. I've raised him on my own ever since and my tolerance for villainy reached zero."

"That's why people fear you," Lois whispered.

Superman tried to keep a straight face. "Yes," he muttered. "I do not allow any crimes to go without the ultimate punishment because crime is what took you away from me."

Lois's eyes welled with tears. "What is going on? This isn't the world I know! _Where am I?_"

**For those of you who have seen Smallville, yes it's the mirror box but I took my own liberties and created a different alternate universe. Hope you liked it! Reviews are appreciated. :)**


	15. Lost and Found

**AN: There's a character death in this chapter but I want it known upfront that I love the person I decided to kill. It was really hard to make a decision but every good story needs drama, right? *Ducks in cover to avoid anyone who throws things at me for killing off someone they care about***

15: Lost and Found

Jason sprinted through the streets of Metropolis, his hearing strained as much as he could manage. This was one of those times he cursed his heritage; only having half the amount of Superman's abilities prevented him from honing in on his mother. Where could she be? Who would take her? His dad had a lot of enemies but none of them knew the secret.

Green Lantern and Aquaman had split up to cover the higher ground and the harbor. If Lois was taken out to sea, Aquaman would be the one to find her. Green Lantern could see much more in the air, something Jason secretly cursed as well. Why couldn't he fly yet? It would make things so much easier. Even though super speed had its advantages for running, it was still annoying to have to dodge the crowds as well as skirt around the buildings. Sure, he could leap but the amount of wind in such a feat would drown out his already limited super hearing.

After rushing through downtown without hearing his mother's heartbeat, Jason turned towards the Daily Planet. He was halfway down the road when he decided to leap over a semi. The logo leapt out at him like a neon sign. In fact, it distracted him so much he tripped upon landing and toppled end over end until he smashed into a car right outside one of the most popular coffee shops in town.

"Not good," he muttered.

Why did he have to crash in such a heavily populated area? Everyone was going to see his face the second he pried himself out of the metal! There was only one solution that would enable him to get away without being seen. He had to burst out of the metal at super speed and book it out of there without a backward glance. Using x-ray vision, he noticed several people were making cautious steps towards the ruined car. He had to act fast or else he'd barrel into one of them.

Putting on a burst of speed, he rocketed out of the metal causing pieces to fly everywhere. He heard people screaming in surprise behind him but he didn't slow down. Leaping to the top of an apartment complex, he took a deep breath, and leaned against the rooftop.

"Jason, are you alright?"

Jason nearly leapt out of his skin when he turned to see Green Lantern touching down on the roof. "Jeez! Don't creep up on someone like that, Lantern!"

"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't think I would scare you because of your super hearing. I can never sneak up on your dad."

Jason sighed. "I turned it off, so to speak."

"Why?"

"I saw something that surprised me. I was in the middle of a leap when I saw it so when I touched back down, I tripped and slammed into a car."

Green Lantern pinched his nose. "Nobody saw you, right?"

"Of course not! I'm not that stupid," Jason said, annoyed that he would consider him to be so careless. "I've had to hide my abilities my whole life. An accident like that wouldn't cause me to slip up."

Green Lantern still appeared on edge. "I know it must be difficult having to hide who you are all the time but please be careful."

Jason scowled. "I always am, Hal."

Green Lantern frowned, contemplating whether or not to let it go. Sighing, he asked, "What did you see?"

Grateful he was done with the secret identity lecture, Jason answered, "It was a semi with LexCorp's logo."

Green Lantern stared at him. "You don't think-?"

Jason shrugged. "Lex Luthor has always had a hatred for both Lois Lane and Superman."

"But surely he knows they're not a couple?"

"It wouldn't matter to Lex. Believe me, my dad's told me plenty of stories about Luthor. He wouldn't hesitate to use Lois against Superman because he knows Superman still has feelings for her despite the fact everyone knows she didn't marry him…technically."

Green Lantern thought it over. "I could investigate."

"If you do, you shouldn't go alone," Jason cautioned. "Lex Luthor isn't someone you want to tango with by yourself. It's good to have backup."

"Are you volunteering?"

"Who else could be your backup right now? Aquaman is off in the ocean and the others are with Thora."

"I could call in a few of my friends."

Jason groaned. "Come on, Lantern! I know I'm not a member of the League but that's only because of protecting the family. I'm just as capable of being a certified hero as Robin. Besides, I have half of Superman's abilities and that can be used as an advantage when going up against Luthor."

Green Lantern sighed. "Jason, if anything happened to you, your mother will flay me alive."

"Then let's not allow anything to happen to me," Jason said. "I'll be careful."

"Like you were earlier smashing into a car?"

Jason decided to ignore that last comment. "I'll see you at LexCorp."

And before he could call him back, Jason leapt from the building in a burst of super speed, racing down the side until he reached the sidewalk. Sprinting through the crowds, he twisted and turned as he headed towards LexCorp. The second it came into view, he put on the brakes, skidding into an alley. Green Lantern showed up ten minutes later. Jason grinned. "What kept you?"

"Very funny," Green Lantern muttered. "Look, Jason, I have a bad feeling about this."

"Why?"

"We don't have any proof that Lex Luthor took Lois. We'd be going in blind. What if we were wrong? Ever since the League was founded Luthor has been trying to come up with a way to get rid of it. If we come charging into his office, accusing him of kidnap and it turns out that we're wrong, he could peg us for false accusations and the press would have a field day."

"But what if he did take my mom? Are you willing to sit around and do nothing?"

"Jason, this is risky. What would your father do in this situation?"

"My father isn't here so I wouldn't know," Jason snapped. "You can stay here if you want but I'm not going to wait until my mother's obituary shows up."

Green Lantern let out a sigh. "How do you plan to get in?"

"I was debating over the air vents or jumping through a high window."

"Judging by the fact that it's in the middle of the day, I'd say the air vents are our best option. Do you know the direction on where to go?"

"Luthor's office is at the top."

"He's not going to be holding Lois right in his office, Jason! If he had her, she'd be locked up in a location where little would have access."

Jason frowned. "Alright, fine. Where do you think she'd be?"

Green Lantern paused to stare at the building intently. "My guess would be the lower levels."

Jason concentrated really hard and his x-ray vision kicked in. "Wow," he muttered. "It's almost like an entire facility is underground!"

"I'm not too surprised," Green Lantern muttered. "Do you see Lois?"

Jason concentrated harder but found that several rooms were lined with lead. He cursed. "Luthor doesn't want to be spied on."

"Rooms lined with lead I take it?"

Jason nodded. Just then, his cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Jas, where are you?"

"Gray? I'm in Metropolis. What's up?"

"Someone totally ruined my car! It looks like it's been smashed in like an accordion."

"That car was yours?" he asked in disbelief.

"Wait, you did this?! What the heck?!"

"Dude, sorry, I didn't mean to," Jason said. "I got distracted."

"By what? What's going on?"

Jason pinched his nose. "Can you get to the alley outside LexCorp in two minutes?"

Green Lantern looked at him sternly and shook his head. Jason ignored him.

"Sure but what are you doing there?"

"I'll explain later. Just get here."

"Fine."

"Jason, we shouldn't involve Robin," Green Lantern said the second Jason hung up.

"Why not?"

"This is already dangerous," Green Lantern said. "I don't want to jeopardize another person in this foolish attempt of rescue."

Jason opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. Jason whirled around to face the shadows. Robin appeared, half shrouded in darkness. "What's up?" he asked with a grin.

"Batman taught you well," Green Lantern observed. "I didn't even hear you."

Robin's grin deepened. "Thanks. So can I ask why Green Lantern's here and what we're doing outside of Lex Luthor's lair?"

"My mom's been kidnapped and we think Luthor did it," Jason answered.

"Wait, you _think_ he did it?" Robin questioned. "You're not sure?"

"It has to be him," Jason replied stubbornly. "Nobody else would be foolhardy enough to kidnap her these days."

Robin appeared skeptical. "Jason, it's not good to accuse someone without evidence."

"Exactly," Green Lantern agreed.

Jason glared at the two of them. Why couldn't they understand? He may not have any proof but he knew Luthor was the one who'd taken his mother; call it a gut feeling. His parents had taught him to always trust his instincts, even if they seemed far-fetched.

"Where's your dad anyway?" Robin asked, looking around. "Shouldn't he be helping if Lois was abducted?"

Jason became quiet. "My dad went MIA."

"What?!"

"Long story," Green Lantern explained. "Zatanna placed him under the influence of Red Kryptonite and threw him into a vortex. We haven't seen him since. The League was going to enter the vortex to find him when Lois disappeared. Aquaman and I stayed behind to look for her while the rest went to search for Superman."

Robin's mouth dropped open. "Red Kryptonite? Bats has told me stories. Dude, this is bad. And now your mom's missing too?"

"Yes, which is why I stayed behind to try to find her," Jason muttered.

"And you think Luthor's got her?"

"Yes. Now, both of you shut up. I'm going to use my super hearing to try to hear her."

Straining his ears, Jason listened to everything going on in LexCorp. After ten minutes, he picked up Luthor's voice.

"It's brilliant, Mercy. The cylinder worked just like I hoped it would."

"Well done, sir."

"Yes," Luthor laughed, "it was entirely by chance that I found this when digging around Smallville. It's proven to be quite useful."

"Sir, how did you know how to work it?"

"The worker who found it disappeared and was replaced by his alternate. The alternate found his way to me and demanded to know where he was. After a moment's explanation, I allowed him to hold the cylinder. The second he twisted it, he disappeared and my worker returned."

"So you figured you could use it to capture Lois?"

"Precisely. After a little digging, I discovered her fate in the alternate world. If my suspicions are correct, we will never see Lois Lane again."

Jason pulled away from the conversation. His frame shaking, he took off, not even explaining to either Green Lantern or Robin what he'd just heard. Robin called out his name but Jason had one thought on his mind: get to Luthor. Shattering the glass doors, Jason raced down the hall until he reached the stairs. Three seconds later Jason smashed through Luthor's private office, the doors flying off their hinges. Grabbing Luthor by the shirt, he lifted him into the air.

"Where is she?!" Jason demanded.

Luthor hid his surprise instantly. "Well, well, if it isn't Jason Kent. I've been waiting for this moment for quite some time. It's been ten years, hasn't it?"

Jason slammed Luthor up against the wall. "Answer me!" he shouted.

A gun barrel appeared at Jason's temple. "Put him down," Mercy commanded.

Jason ignored her. Staring into the soulless black eyes of the man in his hands, Jason felt boiling hatred. He wanted nothing more than to snap Luthor's neck. It would be so easy, so painless! His fingers began to burn; they were so desirous to carry out the desire. And yet Jason held firm.

"Do you want to kill me, Jason?" Luthor whispered. "You do; I can see it in your eyes."

"Where is my mother?" Jason demanded in a deathly whisper. "What have you done to her?"

"Young man, release him," Mercy said, cocking the gun.

"I'd do as she says, Jason," Lex advised. "I personally don't believe you are completely immune like your father."

Jason faltered. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Luthor let out an evil chuckle. "I think you do. Clark Kent bears a remarkable resemblance to Superman. Funny how all you have to do is gather ten years worth of surveillance information to figure out the biggest secret in the world."

Jason's insides boiled. "You've been spying on us?"

"And it has proven to be the most rewarding thing I have ever done," Lex confirmed.

"How dare you!" Jason shouted, slamming Luthor against the wall again.

Suddenly Jason felt sick. His vision began to swim, his stomach churned, and his breathing became irregular. Sweat began to bead around his forehead and his strength slowly ebbed away until he released Luthor and fell to his knees. Groaning, he looked up. In his hand, Luthor held a perfectly round ball of carved Kryptonite. He smiled evilly as he stooped down to stare into Jason's eyes.

"Did your father not teach you to always be weary of your surroundings?" he gloated as he waved the Kryptonite closer to Jason's face. Jason groaned and looked away. "It would appear that your effect to the meteor rock is on par to that of your father's."

Luthor punched Jason in the stomach. Immediately feeling a bruise, Jason doubled over. After a couple of well aimed kicks in the chest, Luthor handed the Kryptonite to Mercy with the instructions not to move until he returned.

Jason's mind reeled. He felt humiliated and stupid; he should have known Luthor would carry Kryptonite with him. But he hadn't expected him to know the truth about his dad. How had he figured it out? His dad had always been careful of keeping his identity hidden, especially since the Justice League had formed. How good was Luthor's surveillance? Obviously good enough to unveil his father's secret. Jason cursed as a fresh wave of nausea washed over him. He looked up at Mercy weakly while wishing that Green Lantern or Robin would suddenly appear to free him.

Several pairs of feet pounded against the cold tile floor. Jason groaned as he was grabbed by two strong pairs of hands. Mercy made sure to keep the Kryptonite close as Jason was dragged helplessly from the room. He was able to raise his head just enough to see Luthor himself leading the procession. Entering an elevator, Lex waited until all were inside before inserting a key into the control panel. A small door slid open to reveal three black buttons. He pushed the last one and the elevator started its downward motion.

The movement made Jason's stomach churn. Mercy shoved the Kryptonite closer. Jason cringed. Faintly he heard the elevator doors ding open. The men dragged him out of the elevator down a long hallway into a large room. Slamming him into a chair, they tied him in place before stalking out. Mercy placed the Kryptonite in his lap. Jason weakly raised his head.

"Comfortable?" Luthor asked.

"What are you going to do to me?" Jason huffed.

"I would have thought you'd seen enough movies to know that when a …creature… was discovered by humans it was to be taken in for observation."

Jason groaned. "What are you talking about?"

"You are a remarkable creation, Jason; the spawn of an alien and a human. You're the first of your kind. The fact you exist is intriguing. There are many people who would love to study you, to see how you react, to see how alien you are."

"You can't do that," Jason mumbled. "I have rights."

Luthor let out an evil laugh. "Rights?! A monstrosity such as you doesn't have any rights! You're a threat to the human race, both you and your father! After my scientists have dissected everything about you, you will be disposed of just like any other project."

Jason's eyes filled with fear. "You're insane! You can't do this!"

Lex leaned in close and grinned. "Nobody is going to save you, Jason. If I'm correct, you came here on your own."

"That's what you think, Luthor," a commanding voice said behind them.

Lex whirled around. Green Lantern flew forward and laid a fist against the man's jaw. Luthor was sent careening across the room. Spitting blood, he rose to his feet. Mercy tried to leap into the fray but Green Lantern produced chains that tied around her ankles, causing her to taste the tiled floor. Lex growled in frustration and pulled out a gun.

"Look out!" Jason shouted.

Green Lantern whirled around just as the gun fired. Using his ring, he created a shield which defied the bullet. Lex fired again but Green Lantern took to the air. Rushing across the room while firing the gun again and again, Lex grabbed Mercy with one hand and began hauling her towards the door. Green Lantern swooped down.

"You may be able to defy bullets but that Kryptonite makes it easy to kill Superman's spawn!" Lex shouted, aiming the gun right at Jason.

"No!" Green Lantern yelled as he changed course just as Luthor fired.

Even though he was weak, Jason saw the bullet coming towards him in slow motion. Luthor and Mercy ran from the room while Green Lantern aimed his ring straight at Jason. A force field surrounded him and everything sped up. The bullet smashed against the green shield and crumbled to the ground. Just as Jason looked up to express thanks, the unthinkable happened. The entire room went up in flames as the room shook from the sudden blast of explosives imploding.

An expression of pure surprise lit up Hal Jordan's face right before he was completely consumed in flame. Jason screamed out in terror as the inferno rushed over the force field surrounding him. Luthor had sealed them inside of the room and set off explosives. Just as fast as the fire had appeared, it was gone, the confined flames having no more oxygen to burn. Smoke swirled through the air. The green shield around Jason vanished and though weak from the Kryptonite still in his lap, he looked up to see the remains of the Green Lantern lying upon the floor.

"_NOOOOOO!" _

Jason couldn't believe his eyes. Hal Jordan, one of his heroes, was dead.

o0o0o

Jane couldn't sleep. She turned onto her side to stare at her husband whose chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. The fight with Superman had really taken its toll. Thor appeared to be in a sleep that would rival Odin's. Jane lightly kissed his cheek before slipped out of bed to get a glass of water. Wandering through the dark hall down to the kitchen, Jane suddenly leapt out of her skin as her cell phone rang. Rushing into the kitchen where she had her phone on to charge, she checked the caller id: unknown. Usually Jane ignored such calls but something told her to answer this one.

"Hello?"

"Mom!"

Jane's heart leapt into her throat. Tears poured from her eyes. "Thora?" she gasped between sobs. "My sweet little girl, is that you?!"

"Yes mom, it's me," Thora answered, her voice also thick with emotion.

"Where are you?" Jane demanded, unconsciously grabbing her purse.

"I'm in New York," Thora answered.

"New York? Why in the world are you there?"

"That's where Uncle Loki placed the portal. Look, Mom, I have to ask you something really important."

"What is it, honey?"

"Uncle Loki talked about a man who terrorized New York until S.H.I.E.L.D. took him away. Do you know where he is?"

Jane's brow furrowed in confusion. "Does he wear a blue outfit with a red S on his chest?"

"Yes!" Thora cried, excited.

"He's staying with us," Jane revealed.

"What?! Really?! Mom, keep him there. I'll be there soon."

"Wait! Thora, how are you going to get here?"

"Don't worry, Mom. I brought Superman's friends. We'll be in New Mexico before the sun rises."

"Wait, honey, don't go yet," Jane cried.

Thora paused and then asked, "Mom, are you okay?"

Tears freely fell down Jane's cheeks. "I-I feel so pathetic," she gasped as a fresh wave of sobs filled the air. "So many times I've daydreamed about you coming home. I just can't believe this is real. How can I know this isn't a figment of my imagination?"

"Mom, I promise I'll be there around nine."

"Okay," Jane whispered.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too," Jane said, smiling through her tears.

"I'll see you soon," Thora promised. "Bye."

"Bye," Jane whispered.

Hanging up the phone, Jane turned around to find Thor leaning against the kitchen doorway. Upon seeing the state of his wife, he immediately enveloped her into his arms. Kissing her hair, he asked, "Jane, love, what is it?"

"I'm afraid that if I tell you I'll wake up," Jane muttered into his broad shoulder.

Thor smiled and gave her a squeeze. "We're awake, Jane. Who was on the phone?"

"Thora," Jane answered.

Thor froze. Pulling her away so he could look into her eyes, he asked, "Jane, you're sure?"

"Yes!" Jane cried. "She promised to be here in the morning. Superman's friends are with her."

"We should go to meet them," Thor said, moving to the door.

"No!" Jane said. "Stay with me, please. Let's wait for her to come to us."

Thor searched her eyes before nodding. His wife needed him. Besides, Thora wasn't alone. She was with Superman's friends and he trusted Clark; he could certainly trust his colleagues. Knowing that neither he nor Jane were going to go back to sleep, Thor guided his wife into the living room where they had a good view of the front door. Jane leaned back into his chest once the two were settled on the couch.

Superman rushed through the window to his room and settled down on his bed. Even though he'd been sunbathing, his body was desirous for sleep. Settling down into his bed, he faintly heard both Thor and Jane awake in the living room. Honestly, he was curious to know why the two of them were awake but decided that eavesdropping would be rather unfair after all of the hospitality they had shown him. Turning onto his side, he fell asleep almost immediately, the last thought in his mind being that of Lois and the longing of holding her in his arms.

o0o0o

Superman gently lifted Lois into his arms after she was released from the hospital.

"I can walk," Lois protested.

"Lois, I haven't been able to hold you for ten years. Please let me have this moment," Superman replied, exasperated.

Lois sighed before muttering, "Fine." Superman grinned. Kissing her lightly on the forehead, he lifted her into the air. "So where are you taking me?"

"I thought we'd go to my place," he said, turning east.

After a while Lois asked, "Why aren't you flying at your usual speed?"

Superman studied her for a moment. "You're pregnant, Lois. I don't want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable."

"Are you kidding?" Lois sighed happily. "I haven't felt this good for two days!"

"It's probably because you're closer to the sun than usual."

Lois stared up at the giant glow for a second before closing her eyes and soaking its rays. "Yeah," she replied dreamily, "that's got to be it."

"Do you want to stay up here for a while?"

Lois looked at him. His blue eyes were brighter than when she'd first laid eyes on him. He still had a rough exterior in his other features but his eyes were similar to that of her husband's; not yet the same blue but they were getting there.

"No, it's okay. We need to figure out where I really am."

"What do you mean?"

"I know this is going to sound crazy but I think I'm from another universe." Even as she said it, it sounded crazy.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, for one, the history you were spewing forth back at the hospital is not the same as the history I lived through. For another, I supposedly died ten years ago and yet here I am. Can you explain that one?"

Superman stared and then shrugged his shoulders. "I admit it's odd but I don't really care how you got here. I'm just glad you're here." He kissed her forehead gently as he began to descend.

Lois tried not to feel uncomfortable from the gesture. Why should she be? This was Clark after all. Not some random guy. But that was just it; he may be Clark but he wasn't _her_ Clark. This Clark Kent had seen darker days. He'd crossed the line that her Clark had promised he would never cross: taking someone's life. And from the sound of things, he'd taken several since the time of her death.

Superman touched down in front of a mansion and it took Lois a moment to realize that this was his house. "You live here?"

Superman laughed. "Yes. Ever since…"

Lois didn't need him to finish his sentence. He'd lived here ever since he'd forsaken his oath never to kill. "How are you able to afford a place like this on a Daily Planet salary?"

"I haven't worked there since my identity was exposed. In fact, I haven't been Clark Kent since you died."

Lois felt something shrivel up slightly inside her. "Oh…"

"Come on," he invited. "I may live here but the League practically does too. It replaced Watchtower several years ago."

Taking her hand, he led her up the large driveway to the oak front doors. The Kryptonian symbol of hope was etched into the wood. Superman pushed them open to reveal a handsome staircase just inside. Lois's mouth dropped open from all the pictures on the walls; pictures of her, Clark, and Jason. Tears pricked at her eyes as she walked up to a photograph taken just after Jason was born. He was in Lois's arms and behind her stood Clark, a warm grin on his face.

Lois looked at other pictures that displayed the Kent family growing up. The precious five years that Clark always told her he would have loved to be part of were staring her right in the face. She had never actually told him but she had longed for them too. Raising Jason alone had been one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do. Her mother and sister had been there with her through Jason's pregnancy up until Richard came into her life when Jason was three and though she appreciated all the things they had done for her, her heart had always longed for Kal El to be there to share in the first moments of their child.

She hadn't noticed she was crying until the tears dripped from her face. Lois wiped her cheeks. Superman walked up to her and gently grabbed her shoulder. "Lois, are you alright?"

She smiled and rubbed her eyes. "I'm fine," she said.

"Then why are you crying?"

Pointing at the pictures, Lois explained, "Where I'm from, this never happened. I had to raise Jason on my own for five years. Well, I had help from my mom, Lucy, and Richard but they weren't you."

Superman stared at the pictures. "I can't even imagine not being there. Why did I leave you?"

Lois smiled sadly. "Well, after erasing my memories, things went back to the way they were before I knew who you really were. You didn't think you could have me and save the world but you also knew that you couldn't be in a world where I didn't exist. It was better to have me there and not be close than to not have me at all. But the separation for you was too painful. When you found out that scientists might have found Krypton, you left to find out if it was still there yourself. Shortly after you disappeared, I learned I was pregnant. Imagine my surprise!" she laughed to herself. "I couldn't remember who the father was. But when Jason was born and I saw those eyes, I knew. I just didn't know how. It wasn't until you returned five years later that you told me. After that we tried again and we've been together ever since."

Superman put his strong arms around her, resting his hands over her hips. "I'm glad I didn't leave you," he whispered into her hair. "Five years away from you would have tortured me."

Lois again felt uncomfortable with how close he was. Slipping out of his arms, she turned to face him. "So, where is Jason?"

He didn't seem to mind the loss of contact; if he did, he didn't show it. "He'll be getting out of school in a few minutes. He won't be home until dinner time though."

"What? Why not?"

"He does his homework with Gray at the library." Superman stiffened and then grimaced.

"What is it?" Lois asked.

He pinched his nose. "I totally forgot about that," he muttered. Grabbing her hand, he started pulling her down the hallway.

"Hey, where are we going?" Lois asked, trying not to trip; his stride was a lot longer than hers.

Superman didn't answer. Instead he pushed another set of doors open, these having the symbol of the Justice League on them. Lois stepped into the entrance way and all conversation stopped. Suddenly feeling like she was on display, Lois faltered in her steps. Her sudden change of pace made Superman turn to check on her. Ignoring the rest of the League, he grabbed Lois's shoulders to steady her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

Lois nodded, grateful the others couldn't see her with him standing directly in front of her. "I just feel like a circus attraction," she whispered so quietly only he could hear her.

He grinned. "Do you want me to tell them you're a zombie?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you have all seen stranger things than Zombie Lois Lane."

Superman laughed. It was the first time he had truly laughed in ten years. The Justice League couldn't believe what they were hearing. Superman was happy? There could only be one explanation. That woman really was Lois Lane. But how? Batman was the first to recover. "Would you mind telling us what is going on, Kal El?"

Lois raised an eyebrow. "Since when does Bruce call you Kal El?"

"That's who I am, Lois."

She folded her arms stubbornly. "Not to me. You're Clark and that's what I'm calling you."

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. "You can call me anything you'd like, Lois," he muttered into her hair.

Lois pulled away. "Alright, Smallville, that's enough. You have a meeting to get to, remember?" She made to go back into the hallway but he grabbed her hand.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I thought I'd explore until you're done," she answered honestly.

"No," he ordered, his soft expression suddenly turning stony. Lois noticed it was the look he wore when he'd ordered the doctors in the hospital to help her. "I'm not letting you out of my sight again."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Clark, I'm not going to die just by walking around in your house."

"I don't care," he replied stubbornly. "You're not going anywhere."

Lois stood straight. "Kal El, I am not something that you possess. I'm here because I want to be here. And if you think you can cage me, you're dead wrong."

Superman was not pleased. The rest of the League had slowly crept up behind him to get a better look at Lois. They couldn't believe what they saw but they were too afraid to say anything. Superman's eyes narrowed.

"What if I held you and didn't let you go?"

"If you tried, you might hurt the baby, since I'd kick and scream the whole time."

"The what?!" Flash cried, breaking the silence.

Superman turned to the others. "Lois is pregnant."

"Is this Lois from the past?" Wonder Woman asked, observing Lois with interest.

"No," Superman answered.

"She can't be from the future," Green Lantern said.

"We think I'm from an alternate reality," Lois answered. "Judging by the fact that where I'm from I'm still alive and so is Lex Luthor. And, not to be rude, but what happened to Hal?"

"Hal Jordan died four years ago. Since then there have been two Green Lanterns in his place. John Stewart retired a year ago and now Kyle Rayner is the Green Lantern," Superman explained.

"Thanks for giving away my identity, Kal," Green Lantern muttered.

"Lois knows who everyone else is already," Superman replied.

"Besides, she would have figured out who you were the hard way if you didn't tell her straight up," Batman added.

Lois grinned. "Darn right I would have. There isn't a superhero identity I can't crack. Even if it takes me years, I'll find out who you are."

"That's Lois all right," Flash said.

"Of course it's me, Wally," Lois said. "But I'm not from your world; just one that's similar."

"This is rather strange," Hawkgirl said. "We've experienced alternate universes before. Maybe she's from there?"

"It's a possibility," Green Arrow said. "I'm just glad it's Lois and not one of the villains."

"Yes, well, as fine and dandy as this is, you all have a meeting. We can talk about where I'm from when you're done. And no, Clark, I'm not staying. I'm going to have a look around. I won't leave the mansion, okay?"

Superman still wasn't happy but he knew better than to argue with her. "Fine," he muttered.

Lois smiled. "Make sure you don't miss what's being said because you're too busy hearing my heartbeat and watching me through the walls."

He stared at her, surprised, but then smirked. "You know me too well."

Lois winked before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her. The others went back to their seats but Superman stood still, staring at the door; rather through it. He didn't want to take his eyes off her. Since meeting her, this was the first time she was physically away from him. The others had forgotten how much he loved her along with how he had once acted when she was alive. Already they felt him reverting to the more gentler Superman they had first met.

"Kal, are you going to join us?" Batman asked.

"I'm listening," he replied, his back to them.

They all shared looks. Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl actually smiled. Finally the shell had been cracked. Lois was the only one who could melt through his cold exterior and she was the only one who could defy him without experiencing his heat vision. Deciding that it would be best to start the meeting than to wait, Wonder Woman brought everyone up to speed on how things were going in the world.

"Kal, you like to keep Metropolis's business a secret until we actually see you. How have things been since we've been gone?" Wonder Woman asked after the report was finished.

Superman shrugged, his back still turned. "It's been the same…that is, until Lois showed up this morning. She stopped me before I killed someone for stealing."

"You didn't kill him?" Green Arrow asked, surprised.

"No. Lois wouldn't let me."

Everyone stared at the back of the Man of Steel. Mercy was something all of them had figured he'd discarded the moment he killed Lex Luthor. Though none of them would admit it, they were secretly celebrating that Lois had stopped him. Since Superman had decided to end life if crime was committed, the world had turned dark. Even Batman, who didn't mind the dark, was displeased with the world's change. Could Lois's reappearance restore what had been lost? Unspeakably they all hoped so.

"It would appear that Lois's appearance has caused interesting effects," Batman muttered.

For the first time, Superman turned away from Lois -who was in the study directly above them- to stare at Batman. His eyes were cold as he replied, "I'm not changing what clearly is working, Bruce. What I do in Metropolis today ensures peace tomorrow. Lois's return won't change that."

Batman narrowed his eyes but didn't comment. Superman looked away from him to stare at the ceiling again. Lois had found a book and was curling up on the couch to peruse its pages. Though he didn't realize it, his face softened. However, the League noticed. Sharing looks, they silently agreed that even if Superman said he wasn't going to change his ways, it was going to happen. The key was Lois. They had to keep her here in order for things to go back to the way they were before. The decision was made silently amongst the League minus Superman; no matter if she was from a different universe or not, Lois Lane was never to be permitted to leave.

**I'm sorry Hal. It had to happen. Besides Kyle, you're my favorite GL. Sorry to any Hal fans out there. **

**Next chapter we'll hear more from things going on in the Avengers universe. Bear with me guys; all three universes were necessary in order to make this story turn out the way I needed it to. We're only about five chapters from the end so everything is slowly tying together from here on out. Lois in the alternate reality is VERY important to later plot detail. Thanks for sticking with me. **

**Reviews are appreciated! **


	16. Disarray

16: Disarray

Thora hung up the phone and turned to the League. "Superman's at my house."

"Where do you live?" asked Batman.

"New Mexico. I told my mom that we should be getting there around nine."

"How are we going to manage that?" Flash asked. "Some of us can run or fly but to get all of us there…?"

"I can remedy that but I'll need to make another call," Thora confessed. "Does anybody have a quarter?"

Green Arrow pulled a roll out of his pocket. "What?" he demanded from everyone's looks. "You never know when you're going to need a payphone. I've had plenty of times when my cell phone has been damaged in a fight."

He handed the change to Thora, ignored the teasing comments of the others. Thora smiled as she dialed the number her parents forced her to memorize in case of emergencies.

"Hello?"

Thora's smile deepened as her heart swelled. "Uncle Tony!" she cried. "It's me!"

"Thora?! Where are you?"

"I'm in New York City! Look, Uncle Tony, can you give me and some of my friends a lift back to my house?"

"Um…I would, sweetheart, but I'm kind of tied down at the moment," Tony muttered.

"Oh," Thora replied, "I'm sorry; you're probably working."

"No, it's not that," Tony assured, quickly hushing the hurt in her voice. "I'm literally tied down. Pepper won't let me go anywhere until I've healed completely."

"What do you mean?" Thora asked.

"Well, that Super guy did a real number on everybody," Tony revealed. "I just got released from the hospital an hour ago."

Thora's mouth ran dry. "Is everyone okay?" she managed to choke out.

"Everyone is fine," Tony assured. "Hey, I'll tell you what, I'll have Jarvis ship out an automated pilot plane to your location. When it gets there, hit the blinking blue button and I'll know that you're aboard. Then I can manually set the controls to take you home from my phone."

"Thank you so much, Uncle Tony!" Thora cheered. "I'll come and visit as soon as I can."

"You'd better. My son is going crazy without his babysitter."

"I'm sorry."

"Ahhh, don't worry, he'll get over it. Hey, if you can get to the Statue of Liberty I can send the plane there."

"Okay. When?"

"In about two hours."

"We'll be there. Thanks again, Uncle Tony! You're the best."

"You know it," Tony replied heartily. "See you soon, sweetheart."

"Bye." Thora hung up the payphone and turned back to the League. "Okay, our ride will be here in two hours. We just need to make sure we're at the Statue of Liberty when it arrives."

"Cool; who's coming?" Flash asked.

"Well, my Uncle Tony can't come personally because he's still recovering from the injuries from Superman," Thora replied hesitantly, "so he's sending an automated plane through Jarvis, his super computer."

"A computer is flying the plane?" asked Martian Manhunter. "Will it be safe?"

"It should be if it doesn't encounter any threats," Batman answered. "Is your Uncle alright?"

"Yeah, he's fine."

"Supes didn't kill anybody, did he?" Flash asked.

"No."

"Good," Green Arrow sighed. "So, what are we going to do for two hours?"

Thora grinned. "Well, we _are_ in New York. Who wants to meet Spiderman?"

o0o0o

Jason knelt over the remains of Hal Jordan, his mind reeling in disbelief and horror. His shock ran so deep, he didn't even fight as guards yanked his arms behind his back and cuffed him with Kryptonite handcuffs. Unable to find his feet, he was dragged from the room, his strength gone, his mind spiraling, and his eyes locked on the late Green Lantern. Before he was pulled around the corner, Jason saw the green ring slip from Hal's finger and fly up into an air vent.

The sickness from the Kryptonite caused Jason to moan as he was hauled into another cell. After being deposited onto a rough mattress, Lex Luthor loomed over him with a vial smirk. "I'll give you a few hours to grieve," he sneered.

"You killed him," Jason wheezed.

"He knew the risks involved with meddling in my affairs," Lex replied without pity.

"Release me!" Jason demanded, his anger making him temporarily forget his physical pain.

"In good time," Luthor replied, unfazed. "When Superman returns, I'll need you to lure him here. Once he is exposed to the Kryptonite, I'll finally rid the world of the alien scum and his posterity."

"What about my mother?! Where is she, Luthor?!"

Lex's wicked smile widened as he headed to the cell door. "Don't worry, Jason. You'll never see her again."

"I swear, if you hurt her, I'll kill you myself!" Jason spat.

Lex turned around. "The son of Superman threatening to kill someone? I'm sure he'd be ashamed if he heard you say that."

Jason ignored the stinging in his heart as he retorted, "I'm also the son of Lois Lane and _she_ wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in your chest."

Lex shrugged. "Then it's a good thing she'll never get the chance. I'll check on you again, Jason. And next time I'll bring some friends who will be most interested to study you." He slammed the door.

Furious, Jason weakly turned towards the wall and finally let the tears flow down his cheeks, his heart shriveling as he cried.

o0o0o

The meeting over, Superman left the others to join Lois up in the library. "What's captured your attention?" he asked, shutting the door.

Lois looked up and smiled. "This is great!" she exclaimed, holding up the spiral bound book. "It's all the articles we did for the Daily Planet."

Superman smiled. "A personal favorite in my collection; it holds a lot of memories."

Lois stood and replaced the book on the shelf. "Yeah, it does."

She turned around to find him inches away from her. Her heartbeat quickened. Superman suddenly pulled her tightly against him and kissed her full on the mouth. Lois, surprised at first, gasped -which wasn't the best idea since it invited him to have more than just a kiss. She pulled back, pushing her hands against his chest. She wasn't surprised to see the hurt in his expression.

"Clark, I know this is going to sound weird but even though you look just like my Clark, you're not him."

"Your Clark?" He stared at her for a moment and then challenged, "Does your Clark kiss you differently than I do?"

Lois grimaced. "No."

"Does he hold you differently?"

"No."

"Then what's the problem?"

Lois felt uncomfortable. She wasn't sure if she could put into words what she was feeling but she needed to try. He deserved to know. Taking a deep breath, she explained, "The problem is I'm not from here! I'm not _your_ Lois! I'm her parallel! We are the same in looks but the experiences we've had are obviously different. You can't honestly tell me that even though you see me, you see _her_?"

Superman's furrowed brow suddenly became smooth. "One thing about me hasn't changed; I can't lie." He sighed, "Yes, Lois, I see her. You look like her, act like her, and even smell like her! How can I _not_ be captivated by you?"

"Believe me, Smallville, I'm just as captivated," Lois gently assured, "But the reality is I'm not your Lois and you're not my Clark."

"Well, the reality is I've lost my Lois. What happens if you can never return to your Clark?"

Lois's heart began to race. Of course he heard it since that all too familiar look of guilt crossed his features.

"Lois, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

"Then why did you?" she asked, turning away from him to stare out the library windows. Her fascination of this place had long since died and it hadn't even been a day. She didn't belong here. "I can't possibly stay," she muttered, her shoulders shaking. "I need to get home to where I belong."

Superman cupped her shoulders with his strong hands. "Lois," he muttered right in her ear, "I can't deny the hopes I have that you will never return to your universe but I know it isn't right for me to keep you. I'll do everything I can to get you home."

Lois turned around. She stared into his blue eyes for a long time. "You're telling the truth," she observed.

"I never lie," he replied unhappily.

"Clark, I'm sorry your Lois is gone."

Superman searched her eyes. "If I can't find a way to get you home, will you stay with me?"

Lois's heart skipped a beat. Those blue eyes were hypnotizing. Denying the urge to kiss him, she nodded. "If I can't get home, I will."

o0o0o

Thora's heart pounded with excitement as she led the Justice League down the shadier parts of New York. True it was dark, but the less attention they drew to themselves the better. Thora didn't want to public getting wind of any other unknown vigilantes since they were still traumatized over Superman's dramatic entrance. Besides, by going to the shadier parts of the city, they were bound to run into Spiderman.

"Why don't we call Spiderman?" Green Arrow asked as they leapt onto another roof.

"His cell is dead," Thora answered, flying easily over the rooftops.

"How do you know?" Hawkgirl wondered.

Thora smiled. "Spidy texts a lot."

"What is he, a teenager?" Batman muttered as he fired his grabbling hook towards the next building.

Thora was about to answer when someone let out a loud whoop just a head of them. Spiderman came flying through the air, letting go of his webbing to do a couple of flips before releasing another web towards a tall apartment complex. The League watched in silence as he chased down a man who was sprinting along the sidewalk. The man was obviously a mugger from his poor clothes and the purse clutched in his arms. Spiderman strung the guy upside down to a street pole.

"You know, if you're going to mug someone, maybe you should try not dressing the part, huh, tough guy?" Spiderman mocked as he turned around, cast off another web and went soaring around the building to give the purse back to its rightful owner.

"Come on!" Thora said, "Before he gets away."

"We'd catch him before he did," Wonder Woman replied as they followed her.

Spiderman was just about to take off again when Thora shouted his name. "SPIDERMAN!"

He looked up and, though masked, it was obvious from his body language that he was surprised. Shooting a couple webs, he slingshot himself up to where Thora stood. Spiderman looked her up and down. "Well, either Loki cast a terrible spell and turned Thor into a girl or you're Thora."

Thora laughed before hugging Spiderman affectionately. "Peter, you know it's me."

Spiderman pulled his mask off. What the League thought was a teenager was obviously a man either in his really late twenties or early thirties. He grinned widely as he looked Thora up and down. "You look great! Since when did you start dressing like your dad?"

Thora smiled. "A couple days ago, honestly. Oh! Peter, this is the Justice League."

Peter looked up, noticing the League for the first time. He swallowed. "Friends or foes?"

"Friends," Batman replied. "I'm Batman. This is Green Arrow, Flash, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter. We're looking for Superman."

"Friends with the big guy, huh?" Peter sighed, sitting down on someone's lawn chair. "He tore up a whole heck of my town today. They'll probably be cleaning up for weeks. This is almost as bad as the time Loki tried to take over the world the first time."

"We apologize for Superman's behavior," said Wonder Woman. "He was not himself."

"So I've heard," Peter replied. "He's not here though, if that's what you're wondering."

"Oh, no, we know he's with my parents," Thora said, "we're waiting for Uncle Tony to bring a plane to get us there. I thought I'd introduce the League to you. And because you weren't able to come to my birthday party, I figured it would be good to see you too."

Peter grinned. "Yeah, how was old Odin's big bash?"

"Well, minus getting thrown into a vortex that took me to an alternate universe, it was alright."

"I'm glad you're back," Peter said. "How long before Iron Man's plane appears?"

"Two hours," Flash answered.

"Since we have time to kill, do you guys want some pizza?" Peter asked with a grin.

"Pizza sounds great," Thora laughed, remembering Peter used to have a job as a pizza delivery boy; the job didn't last long.

"Alright, wait here. I'll be back in five," Peter promised, replacing his mask. Without a moment's hesitation, he leapt from the roof, free falling several feet before casting a web.

"Rather reckless," Hawkgirl muttered.

Batman smirked, "Definitely doesn't seem to act his age."

The others laughed.

o0o0o

Zatanna sat lazily on a crate, eyeing the opening of the vortex in boredom. It had been hours since the League had disappeared. Where were they? Did they not understand that to keep such a portal open was exhausting to the spell castor? Her eyes began to droop for the tenth time. Zatanna shook her head and slapped her cheeks.

"I wondered if you'd still be around here," said a sinister voice directly in front of her.

Zatanna sat bolt upright. "Luthor! Don't scare me like that!"

Lex raised an eyebrow. "Scare you? I thought you had keen senses."

Zatanna blushed angrily. "I do!"

Smirking, the villain leaned against the crate. "So tell me, what are you doing here so late in the evening?"

"That's none of your business."

"I beg to differ."

Zatanna frowned. "How so?"

"Where's Superman?"

"Why should I know? I'm not his keeper."

"Come, Zatanna, you promised me twenty four hours free of the alien and though that time was fun, I need to know his whereabouts in order to move to the next phase of my plan."

"And what plan would that be?" Zatanna asked, trying to seem uncaring; in reality her senses were now on full alert.

Lex smirked. "That's none of your business."

"Ha ha, very funny," scoffed Zatanna. "Seriously, Lex, what are you scheming? I might be able to help."

"Thanks but I try to not make it a habit of dealing with witches."

"Ouch. We prefer sorcerers. It's a more sophisticated title."

Luthor rolled his eyes before motioning to the shadows just behind Zatanna. She turned around just in time to see a pair of strong hands wrap something around her throat. Before she could reach up to tug the collar off, the strong hands grabbed her arms and tied them behind her back. After failing to break free, Zatanna was hauled off the crate and dumped at Luthor's feet. He smiled wickedly.

"You honestly believed I would let you walk free after making a deal with you to rid the world of Superman?"

Zatanna tried to speak but her voice was lost. She glared accusingly at Lex. His evil smile deepened.

"It's one of the inventions I love to use when…certain…punishments need to be given. The device prevents the vocal cords from working properly, cutting off any kind of noise from the victim."

Since she couldn't talk, Zatanna spat onto Luthor's custom leather shoes. This only made him laugh.

"I like a fiery woman. Take her back to the lab," he said, turning towards his limo. "I'm sure we could learn how to persuade her to our cause. Having a magician on our side would be a great asset when Superman decides to show his face."

"Do you think he'll come, boss?" Zatanna's attacker asked as he carelessly hefted her over his shoulder.

"Of course he will," Lex snapped. "I have the perfect leverage."

"You mean that kid?"

Lex whirled around. "Shut up!" he shouted. Glancing back and forth, he hissed, "There might be others, you idiot."

Zatanna's eyes widened as she considered Luthor's plot. He was going to do something to her to make her work for him? She'd like to see him try! But what about this kid? It couldn't be Jason? Zatanna looked up and noticed the vortex was still open. No matter what they did to her, she had to be sure her concentration stayed to keep it from sealing. She was the only one able to do so. Or was she? Cursing that she couldn't say a spell, Zatanna struggled against her bonds. The man holding her slammed his shoulder into her stomach. Zatanna looked up just before she was dumped into the limo's trunk. Her eyes widened. In the shadows were Aquaman and Green Lantern. Though she didn't have the voice, she could still mouth the words: Dr. Fate. The trunk shut and the limo drove away, Zatanna bumping around uncomfortably in the back.

Green Lantern stepped out of the shadows, watching the limo disappear. "Why didn't we go after her? She's one of us right?"

Aquaman eyed the new Green Lantern with slight annoyance. "Did you hear what Luthor said? If we had tried to stop him, we might have killed the kid."

"How? I didn't see a kid anywhere."

"Just because you didn't see him doesn't mean that Luthor has some secret device that could kill him."

John Stewart, the new Green Lantern, sighed. "Well, what are we going to do now?" He felt at quite a loss. Five hours ago he'd been sitting at home enjoying his day off when the green ring had latched itself onto his finger. He'd been picked up in an orb of light and transported to Oa, the home of the Guardians of the Universe. Long story short, the old Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, had died in combat and he'd been chosen to replace him. John knew Hal more by name than personally, since they both served their country, but he couldn't believe he'd been the Green Lantern. Nor could he believe he'd been nominated as his replacement. John liked the Justice League and supported them but he never thought he'd be one of them. He didn't have the slightest clue what to do. The Guardians had simply given him the basic information of how to be a Green Lantern before shipping him back to Earth. He'd found Aquaman by chance when he'd crash landed into Hob's Bay just outside of Metropolis upon his return.

Aquaman ran a hand through his long hair. "The kid is more than likely Superman's son."

John was immediately pulled from his thoughts. "Wow, wait a second, Superman has a son?!"

"Quiet!" Aquaman snapped, looking around. Staring at Green Lantern angrily, he closed the distance between them. "The first thing you need to get through that thick land-dwelling skull of yours is that secrets are expected to be kept _secret!_"

"Sorry," John replied hotly, "forgive me for slipping up when I haven't even been on the job for a day."

"Don't remind me," Aquaman muttered.

John wanted to retort but thought better of it. Instead he silently contemplated the revelation he'd just learned. Superman had a son and Lex Luthor of all people was probably holding him hostage. Why was it that John had a horrible suspicion that Hal Jordan died in a rescue attempt? The reality of his new calling was suddenly pressing very heavily upon his shoulders.

"Zatanna mouthed something before Luthor shoved her in that car," Aquaman said. "Did you catch what it was?"

"Uh, yeah, it looked like she said 'Dr. Fate'. Who is he anyway?"

Aquaman stiffened. "Dr. Fate is part of the League but he works according to his own timetable. He's a very powerful spell castor."

"Why would Zatanna mouth his name?"

Aquaman stared at the portal. "If there's one thing I know, magic can only work when someone is concentrating on the spell. If Luthor has Zatanna, her concentration is eventually going to break. When that happens, the portal will close -along with any hopes of getting the others back to our universe."

"Wow, hold on, you're saying that the reason why I haven't met the rest of the League is because they're all stuck in there?" asked Green Lantern, pointing at the shimmering portal floating ten feet in the air.

"That's correct. We need to get Dr. Fate and have him keep the portal open."

"And then what?"

"We go in and find the others. If Jason's in trouble, Superman needs to know. Heaven help us all if Luthor's also got Lois."

"Lois? As in Lois Lane?"

"Yes," Aquaman answered, pulling out a cell phone. "Watchtower, we've got a problem. We need to talk to Fate." After a pause, Aquaman frowned. "I don't care if he's busy! This is a King of Hearts 911."

"King of Hearts 911?" Green Lantern questioned.

Aquaman ignored him. "Thank you," he said into the phone before hanging up.

Before Green Lantern could ask another question, a pillar of light ruptured through the air. Temporarily blinded, Green Lantern rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw a man in a deep blue outfit with a bright yellow cape and helmet staring at them.

"What's the situation?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Superman and the others are in an alternate universe and this portal is the only way for them to come back," Aquaman explained quickly, pointing at it. "Zatanna was keeping it open but she was abducted by Luthor. We would have stopped him but he has a hostage that he's planning on using to lure Superman in and I have a deep suspicion it's Jason."

"Jason? How could Luthor know-?" Dr. Fate asked.

Aquaman shook his head. "I don't know but I'm certain it's him because Hal is dead."

Dr. Fate looked at John Stewart and nodded. "I knew Hal Jordan's fate was to come to pass soon. It is good to have you on the team, John Stewart. You will do great things for the League."

John's surprise was obvious as he took Dr. Fate's offered hand. "Thank you," he said, shaking it. "I'm sorry for Hal's passing."

"Everyone must pass on," Dr. Fate replied. "It is fate after all. I will keep the portal open, Aquaman, but you must return the others to this universe promptly. It is not wise to keep a vortex open and this one has already long passed its welcome."

"We'll do what we can," Aquaman said. "Thank you, Dr. Fate. Come on, Green Lantern."

John swallowed hard. This was unnerving; his first mission. He hadn't even had any training. Well, on the job training was better than practice. He knew that first hand from military experience. Following Aquaman into the portal, he suddenly felt like he was being sucked through a giant colorful straw.

o0o0o

Spiderman returned in ten minutes with five hot pizzas in tow. Since the Statue of Liberty was close, they decided to arrive at their waiting location before having dinner. After finding a discrete area in the Statue of Liberty's shadow, they partook of their meal while Spiderman shared his story of how he got his powers. The Justice League also gave him a short story of how they received their abilities; except for Batman and Green Arrow who, despite not having special powers, had enough combat skills to keep up with the others.

Thora had just finished telling Spiderman about Mjol and her new found abilities when Tony's plane appeared. It shot out of the sky with a definitive roar before coming to an abrupt halt two hundred feet above them. Slowly it lowered itself, coming to rest on the thick grass.

Spiderman came to stand next to Thora. "Even his planes arrive in style, don't they?" he said.

Thora grinned and gave him a hug. "I wish you could come with us."

"I would but Goblin's up to something," Spiderman sighed regretfully.

Thora gave him a squeeze. "I'm sure you'll stop him. Hopefully I can stop by soon and we can go out for Chinese."

"That sounds like a plan. Take care of yourself."

Before Spiderman could turn to see the others off, the water exploded. Everyone turned to see Aquaman emerging from a wave of water that was already retreating back into the bay. Green Lantern was with him - except it wasn't Hal.

"Aquaman, what happened?" Batman demanded, rushing forward.

Aquaman didn't waste a breath. "I come with bad news. Zatanna has been taken by Lex Luthor and I have high reason to suspect that he has Jason as well."

"What?!" everyone gasped in unison.

"What would Luthor want with Zatanna?" Flash wondered.

"What about the portal?" Green Arrow asked.

"Dr. Fate is watching over it."

"What about Jason?" Thora cried, grabbing Aquaman's arm. "Is he alright?"

"I'm not positive Luthor has him but I have suspicions," Aquaman answered.

"Based off what?" Flash inquired.

Green Lantern cleared his throat. Everyone stared at him. "I'm the biggest suspicion," he said, pulling the ring off. "The name is John Stewart. Just a few hours ago I was basically abducted to the planet Oa where the Guardians of the Universe informed me that Hal Jordan had died in combat and I was chosen as the next Green Lantern. Hal was with Jason before he died."

"And Luthor was going on about how he had the perfect bait to lure in Superman and his crony let loose that it was a kid," interjected Aquaman. "We know that Superman would rush in to save anyone but Lois's disappearance and Hal Jordan's death lead me to believe that Luthor knows Clark's secret and therefore would have taken Jason. He might even have Lois. We need to get Superman and go through the portal before something happens to Dr. Fate. He said he can't keep the gate open much longer."

Flash sat down in the grass. "Hal's gone," he muttered. "I can't believe he's gone."

The others' hearts were just as heavy. They weren't even in the same universe to rush off and avenge Hal. And now there was the high possibility that Superman's family was at risk. The sooner they returned home, the better.

"We don't have time to waste," Batman said heavily. "We need to keep moving. Sorry that we can't welcome you onto the team in good spirits, John."

John Stewart put the ring back on. "I understand, Batman. I'm sorry that you lost a comrade and friend."

"Come on, Flash," Martian Manhunter said, stooping to help the Speedster rise.

Spiderman looked beside himself. He hadn't expected a fish-man to suddenly leap out of the water nor the guy in green who obvious had just replaced a fallen hero. He wanted to introduce himself but even then his spidy-senses were going haywire. "Thora, I gotta go," he said.

She didn't respond.

"Thora?"

Shaking her head, the Asgardian princess turned to look at her friend. "Sorry, Peter, what was that?"

Spiderman raised an eyebrow. Thora was usually incredibly focused; what could be causing her distraction? Something was up. Fighting his desire to ask, he repeated, "I've got to run."

"Oh, okay," she said, still slightly preoccupied. She gave him a hug. "See you, Pete."

"Okay, bye," Spiderman muttered before running towards the city. He shot a couple of webs onto the Statue of Liberty and slingshot himself into the night.

"Thora, we need to leave," Wonder Woman called.

Thora realized that the others were already on board the jet. "Coming," she called as she rushed up the ramp. Once inside, she found the blinking blue button Uncle Tony told her to push in the cockpit. The second it was pushed, Jarvis responded. "Hello, Miss Thora."

"Jarvis, it's good to hear from you!" Thora cried happily.

"Likewise, Miss Thora," Jarvis said. "Mr. Stark would like me to inform you that you will be arriving at your home in New Mexico in an hour and a half. There are fresh drinks and food in the lounge for the journey."

"Thank you, Jarvis."

"Enjoy your flight, miss."

Thora left the cockpit to find the League sitting around a lounge-like setting. Large circular couches surrounded a large table. A bar loaded with drinks and food stood against the wall, tempting them to come and partake.

"The food and drinks are for us," she said. "Jarvis said it would take about an hour and a half to get to my house."

"We're coming from New York," Green Arrow mused. "That is some pretty incredible technology to get from New York to New Mexico in such a short time."

"He's obviously not following regular flight regulations," Batman pointed out. "It would take a lot longer than that to get there if he were. We're also to be sure to break the sound barrier if we are to arrive there in that allotted time."

Green Arrow whistled. "Like I said, it's impressive tech. If we weren't from different universes, I'd strike up business deals."

Batman nodded. "So would I."

The air thickened as everyone allowed their melancholy to show. It was a heavy blow to know that Hal Jordan was gone. He had been arrogant but he also had a heart of gold. The team was definitely going to miss him. Hawkgirl decided to be the one to try to get to know John Stewart first.

"So, where are you from?" she asked, offering him a drink she'd taken from the bar.

John accepted it gratefully. "Detroit, Michigan."

"What do you do for work?"

"I'm an architect. I'm also a veteran for the U.S. Marines."

"Another military man, huh?" Wonder Woman said, joining the conversation. "It seems the ring likes that type."

"So do I," Hawkgirl muttered, glancing at John before getting up to get some food.

"It must have been a surprise when the ring showed up," Martian Manhunter said.

John nodded, looking down at the ring. "It was. Believe me I'd rather Hal still had it. I didn't know him personally but he was well known in the military."

"He was a good man," Batman agreed.

"To Hal," Flash said, holding up a glass.

"To Hal," the others repeated gloomily, toasting their fallen friend.

"When I find out for sure that Luthor killed him, I'm going to kill him myself," Flash growled as he threw his glass down on the counter.

"Flash, it wouldn't be the right thing to do," Martian Manhunter reproved.

"It would be justice!" Flash argued. "Luthor has wheedled his way out of justice since his first offense with Superman. If anyone deserves to be obliterated it's him."

"We all agree with you," Wonder Woman said, "but just as you pointed out, Luthor's biggest adversary has always been Superman and therefore I believe it should be Superman who decides his fate."

"We all know the big guy doesn't have it in him to kill," Flash retorted. "We should do him a favor and kill Luthor ourselves. It would be easy."

"Would Hal want you to avenge him in such a way?" John asked.

Flash stared at John angrily but then slumped in his chair. "No," he mumbled. "He wouldn't want that because we would only be stooping to Luthor's level."

"Exactly," Batman said, standing up. "That's why Superman has never taken it upon himself to end Luthor's life, even if Luthor has tried to end his more times than any of us can count."

"He might kill Luthor this time," Aquaman muttered. Everyone stared at him. "If Luthor has Lois and Jason and possibly tortured them, do you honestly think Clark won't do something drastic? His family has never been on the line before."

"Lois Lane has been threatened plenty of times and Superman hasn't killed anyone," said Green Arrow.

"That was before she was his wife," Aquaman replied.

"We still don't know for sure if Luthor has them, Aquaman," countered Wonder Woman.

"Do you want to sit around and find out by reading the obituaries for Lois and Jason?" Aquaman retorted. "I, for one, do not want to live with Superman if that occurs. He would be a broken man."

Everyone's silence displayed their agreement.

Batman decided to change to subject. "Aquaman, how did you two find us?"

"I listened for your voices through the water," Aquaman answered. "After pinpointing your location, we traveled through the water to where you were."

"It's not a form of travel I'd be happy to repeat," John muttered.

Everyone laughed.

In no time at all, Thora looked out the window to the familiar brown land belonging to New Mexico. Her heart began to pound furiously in her chest. She was almost home.

o0o0o

Jane stiffened in Thor's arms as she heard the roar of a jet.

"That sounds like Iron Man's plane," Thor muttered.

Jane bolted for the door, not even bothering to put on her shoes. Her eyes widened as she watched the aircraft make its slow decent into her backyard. Before the plane had touched the ground the hanger was open and a blur of blond, red, and silver rushed into her arms.

"MOMMY!"

Jane's arms latched around her daughter as tears fell freely down her cheeks. "My little girl," she whispered, stroking Thora's hair, "I'm here."

"I missed you so much!" Thora cried, holding tightly to her mother. She never wanted to let go again.

Thor came out and wrapped his arms around his favorite women. Thora reached for his hand. "It's good to have you home, raindrop," he muttered, kissing her forehead.

Thora's tears doubled from the nickname she never thought she'd hear again. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, sweetheart," he replied. "I see that Mjol has treated you well."

Thora stepped away from her parents so they could look at her outfit. "It's very similar to yours, Father," she said.

Thor nodded. "Except for the skirt, which is customary for female Asgardian warriors."

"Really?" Jane said mockingly. "Are you sure your outfits didn't get mixed up?"

Thora giggled while Thor smiled affectionately at his wife. "Laugh if you must," he replied.

It was then that Thora remembered they had an audience. She turned around to find the Justice League trying desperately to remain patient through this reunion. Seeing that they were finally recognized, Batman stepped forward. Thor took notice of him along with the others and came forward to meet him.

"I am Thor, prince of Asgard," he said, holding out a hand. "This is my wife, Jane. Thank you so much for taking care of our daughter."

"Batman," the Dark Knight replied before introducing the rest of the League. "We were told Superman was here."

"Ahhh, yes, Clark is inside," Thor said jovially. "He was victorious in defeating us but it took a great toll on his body. He's resting."

"Would you like to come in?" Jane asked.

"Please," Wonder Woman answered.

The League silently compared Thor to Hercules, someone they had all met on various occasions when the man challenged Superman to fight; although they all agreed that Thor wasn't as arrogant as Hercules. Once inside, everyone settled in the living room. Thor made to check on Superman but he hadn't even taken a step when the Man of Steel came around the corner.

"I thought I heard familiar voices," he said with a tired smile.

Batman ignored his colleague's obvious fatigue. "Superman, we need to return to Metropolis immediately."

Superman noted the strain in his friend's voice. "What's going on?" he asked, suddenly becoming on full alert.

"It's Jason," Thora cried. "Aquaman thinks he's in trouble."

Superman looked at the King of Atlantis, waiting.

"If you hadn't noticed, Hal Jordan's been replaced," Aquaman pointed out. "He was with Jason when he died. I believe Luthor has Jason because of a confrontation I overheard him having with Zatanna before he kidnapped her."

Superman appeared devastated by the loss of Hal. He tried to mask his sorrow as he welcomed John Stewart to the team. "If what you've told me is true and Luthor has Zatanna, who is keeping the portal open?"

"Dr. Fate," Green Lantern answered, "But he said he won't be able to keep it open for long."

"Then we should go," Superman said, heading for the door.

"But you just arrived," Thor protested.

"My son is in trouble," Superman said. "I need to go to him. Besides, I've caused your universe too much grief already."

Thor frowned. "Under an influence you couldn't control, Superman. I would like to help."

"The portal can't stay open," said Batman. "If you came with us, there's a chance you'll never return home."

"Thor, I want to help too but it's better for us to stay here," Jane reasoned, taking her husband's arm. She knew how he could be when told he couldn't do something; he usually put up a fight before admitting defeat. But this time she wasn't going to allow him the chance of leaving. They'd already lost Thora once; she wasn't willing to lose him.

Thor stared at his wife and seemed to understand her silent worries. Cupping her face, he sighed. "I consent defeat," he muttered, "Although I do so unhappily."

Jane smiled despite his frown. "Thora's home now. There's much to celebrate over."

"A celebration would be most welcome," Thor admitted. "I'm sorry all of you cannot stay. It would have been wonderful to entertain such guests on Asgard."

Superman smiled. "Maybe another time, my friend. Thank you for allowing me to stay here."

"You're welcome to our home any time, Superman," Jane said. Looking around, her smile faded. "Thor, where's Thora?"

Thor stiffened. "She was here," he muttered, pointing in the corner.

Everyone stood up and looked around.

"The door's open," Wonder Woman called from the hallway.

Superman groaned. "She didn't."

Batman folded his arms. "Are you surprised she did?"

"Did what?" Thor demanded, staring at them.

"She went after Jason," Superman answered.


	17. Tangled Circumstance

17: Tangled Circumstance

Thora knew her parents and the Justice League were sure to catch up to her if she didn't pick up her speed. She had already broken the sound barrier as she barreled through the sky towards New York City. If there was one thing she knew from flying in her father's arms, Asgardians were a lot faster than a jet. She should reach New York in forty minutes if she didn't take any breaks or alter her course. She prayed that she had enough of a head start to out fly Superman since she didn't have the faintest idea how fast a Kryptonian could fly.

She knew she was being incredibly stupid for going after Jason but the thought of him in trouble caused her insurmountable discontent. There was no way she could say goodbye to the Justice League and close the portal with the knowledge that Jason wasn't safe. She knew she was being irrational and stupid but she didn't care. Her heart's desire outweighed that of her mind. She blamed the hopeless romantic spirit inherited from her mother for the blind escapade she'd decided to endeavor. Though she'd only known Jason for a week, her feelings for him were deep and poignant. To give herself some comfort, she thought of how her parents had only known each other for a couple of days and things had worked out for them. If they could fall in love in days, she could surely fall in love in a week, right?

Thora came upon New York a little quicker than expected. Pleased that it had only taken thirty minutes instead of forty, she headed for the alley way where Uncle Loki and the portal were sure to be lurking. Uncle Loki would never let her go either so Thora decided that the best thing to do would be to fly through it at top speed before he could stop her. Five minutes later, the glimmering portal came into view. Rocketing out of the air, Thora shot towards it like a speeding bullet. Her arrival created a sonic boom that caused her Uncle Loki to leap out of his skin. Before he could even register what had happened, she was flying through the familiar vortex comparable to the Bifrost.

"Hold on, Jason," she muttered, "I'm coming."

o0o0o

Lois woke feeling sick to her stomach. She'd fallen asleep in the library while waiting for Clark to find any leads on how she might be able to get back home. In desperate need to find a bathroom, Lois left the library and began opening random doors. After stumbling upon several empty lounge rooms, she finally found a bathroom that would have been comparable to a hotel suite. Not bothering to check out the décor, Lois made for the toilet and barely managed to open the lid before emptying the contents of her stomach.

Her entire body felt weak and she slumped to the floor, wiping her mouth. Closing her eyes, Lois breathed deeply through her nose. Ten minutes later, she heaved again though all that came up this time was bile. Lois went to the sink to rinse out her mouth. She wished she had her toothbrush. Making a mental note to ask Clark to take her shopping, Lois stumbled out of the bathroom towards the window where the setting rays of the sun crept through the curtains. Ripping the drapes to the side, Lois stood in the dim sunlight and closed her eyes, her stomach immediately settling.

"Being pregnant with a Kryptonian child is worse than being pregnant with a human one," she mumbled to herself. "I can't imagine a normal pregnancy being anything like this. I think the morning sickness at least takes a break once in a while. With Jason, I was constantly throwing up during the night. Ugh, this is not going to be fun."

She peeked through her lids to see the sun retreating over Hob's Bay and silently cursed.

"Lois?"

She turned around to find Clark standing in the doorway, concerned. He wasn't wearing his suit but he didn't have his glasses on either. "I heard you throwing up. Are you okay?"

Lois sighed. "I'm alright now that I'm in the sun but that won't last for long."

Clark looked out at the feeble rays and frowned. "Looks like I need to break out the sunlamps."

Lois raised an eyebrow. "Will that work?"

"It worked with Jason," Clark said as he took her hand and led her from the room. "I'm sure it will work this time."

The second she was out of the sun, Lois felt weak. Her stomach began to churn again. Trying and failing to keep her pace, Lois's feet began to drag. Clark picked her up. "I'm fine," she mumbled weakly.

Clark kissed her forehead and smiled. "No matter how weak, you still try to be strong. I've missed that."

Lois didn't want to put up the effort to converse for fear if she opened her mouth something other than words would come up. The last thing she wanted to do was throw up on Clark. He glanced down at her and decided to glide down the hall instead of walking. The sudden change eased Lois a little since the gentle breeze soothed her sweaty face. Clark turned into a large and spacious bedroom. After setting Lois down on the king sized bed he opened the closet and pulled out two large sunlamps. Lois curled into a ball, trying hard not to whimper from the churning of her stomach.

"Hang on, honey," Clark whispered as he set up the lamps and switched them on.

The second the lights hit Lois, she relaxed. The pain wasn't completely gone like it had been when she stepped into direct sunlight but it wasn't unbearable. Stretching her limbs, Lois sighed. "That's a heck of a lot better than what I had to deal with when I was pregnant with Jason."

"I can't imagine you enduring such pain every night without the sun," Clark muttered as he sat on the bed next to her. "How on earth did you manage to survive?"

Lois shrugged. "I would eat a whole bunch during the day when the sun was out so I would get enough nutrition. I usually only threw up five times during the night since I'd sleep most of the time from exhaustion. It lasted for five months."

Clark shook his head and began to stoke her hair. Lois tried not to show her pleasure over the gesture but couldn't help her heart picking up speed from his touch. She didn't want to encourage him but how could you hide your heartbeat from someone with super hearing? Clark didn't seem enticed by her heart's change of pace. He simply continued to stoke her hair and sit on the bed, watching her in silence. Lois stared up at him, her strength slowly returning to her limbs.

"Jason should be home any minute," Clark said. "I called and asked him to bring home dinner. I hope you're in the mood for Chinese."

"Sounds amazing," she muttered, smiling.

Clark grinned. "You were hooked on it last time with Jason. At least, my Lois was."

"I was too," Lois admitted. "I couldn't get enough of the chow mein and orange chicken from Panda Express."

Clark laughed. "She was the same way. I can't tell you how many runs I had to make to that restaurant."

Lois smiled sadly, thinking that it would have been wonderful if her Clark had been there to make runs for her when she was pregnant with Jason. Instead she had to get out of bed to get the Chinese food herself. Not wanting to admit that to _this_ Clark, she changed the subject. "Do you think Jason will like me?"

Clark gently took her hand. "Lois, the fondest memories Jason has are those of his childhood. He's told me that several times. You have nothing to worry about. He's going to love you. I do."

Lois almost said she loved him too but stopped herself. This wasn't her Clark. She had to be careful around him. Egging him on too much could be disastrous. Even if he was a different version of Clark, she wouldn't feel comfortable becoming too intimate with him without feeling like she was betraying her Clark. Lois's head hurt. Her Clark; this Clark; this whole situation was incredibly confusing.

A few minutes passed where Clark continued to stroke Lois's hair, listening to her heartbeat. Lois wanted to talk about something but couldn't bring herself to think of a conversation so she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Her stomach still felt icky but at least it wasn't churning anymore.

"Dad, I'm home!"

Lois's eyes snapped open. Clark continued to stroke her hair. "Lois, relax," he whispered.

"Dad?"

Jason stood in the doorway. He was nothing like her Jason. His hair was long, pulled back in a ponytail. A pair of dark goggle-like sunglasses rested on his head and an earring hung from his ear. He wore a pair of jeans with holes ripped in several parts of the leg and a blue and red baseball tee. He looked like a wild image of his father. Lois sat up and Jason's hazel eyes, so similar to her own, widened in disbelief.

"Mom?" he whispered, his voice strained.

Lois smiled, tears forming in her eyes. It was the first time she'd ever seen her son have that kind of look and her heart ached to hold him. He appeared vulnerable, his disbelief and longing evident in a hesitant step toward her. He noticed the sunlamps and looked at his father, his expression gaining a hint of alarm.

"I'm alright, son," Clark assured, standing up.

"Then why are the sunlamps out?" Jason inquired, shuffling a few more paces forward.

"Lois needed them," answered Clark. "She's expecting."

Jason froze. "Wait…this isn't Mom from the past, is it?"

"No, Jason, I'm from a parallel universe," Lois explained. "The Lex Luthor in my universe sent me here shortly after I learned I was pregnant with a second child."

Jason's eyes widened. "So, you're Mom but you're not Mom?"

"I know it's hard to comprehend, son," Clark said. "I nearly had a heart attack when I saw her."

"Is that why your heartbeats have been going on the fritz? Because Mom's back? I've been concerned about it all day."

"I'm touched that you waited until now to check to see if I was alright," Clark teased.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Well your heartbeats weren't similar to how they sound when you're near Kryptonite. Besides, the only one who has any of that stuff now is Batman and I knew he wasn't anywhere near you because I played hooky with Gray and spent the day at the mansion."

Clark groaned. "Jason, you can't keep missing school."

Jason became defensive. "Whether I graduate or not doesn't matter. I'm going into the family business and last time I checked, you don't have to have a diploma to get into the League."

"Jason, having an education is important even if you're not going to use it," Lois said before Clark could retort.

Jason's defiance continued as he rolled his eyes and muttered, "Whatever," in a careless tone.

Clark looked ready to continue the discussion but Lois decided a mother's touch was needed in this case. She had a sneaky suspicion why this rugged Jason had wandered down this road. Taking Clark's hand, she squeezed it gently. "Clark, can I have some time alone with Jason?"

Clark raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Alright but don't take too long. Dinner's going to get cold."

"If it does, you can zap it with your heat vision to warm it back up," Lois joked.

Clark smiled affectionately before bending down to kiss her forehead. Jason watched in silence. He hadn't seen his father look so gentle since, well, since Mom died. The fire in his eyes was missing, the crease between them also gone. Jason had lately taken to laughing at the term 'soul mates' but witnessing his parents together, it was the only word that came to mind.

Seeing his dad so gentle, so kind, was alien to him. His father reminded him of an army general who showed no mercy to the enemy of justice. However, he'd never treated Jason poorly. He openly displayed fatherly warmth to him and when they were alone he let down the walls around his heart. Jason was the only one to see the anguish and sorrow that constantly plagued his father. In the lowest moments the two of them would travel to the Fortress of Solitude to visit Lois's grave. Though those visits were hard, they were some of the most cherished moments in Jason's memory.

The past few weeks, Jason had gone to the Fortress alone to talk to his mother; he missed her terribly. Seeing her now, sitting on the bed, was like stepping into a dream.

His dad's hand on his shoulder brought him out of his own thoughts. "Don't take too long," he muttered so quietly only Jason could hear. Jason nodded slightly before his father left the room.

"Come here, Jason," Lois invited.

Jason sat down next to her and took her hand. She was real. He let out a breath of air he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Before he could stop them, tears fell down his cheeks. "You're really here," he muttered.

Lois couldn't take it anymore. She wrapped her arms around her son and squeezed him tight. "Though I'm technically not your mom, I think I have a pretty good idea what she would say if she could be here with you right now."

Jason pulled away to look into the hazel eyes he'd inherited. Lois cupped his face.

"I never left," she stated firmly. "I was simply forgotten."

Jason choked back a sob. "I don't understand!" he gasped.

Lois smiled sadly. "The people we lose never leave us, Jason. They live on in memory. It's when we forget them that they truly die. Your father forgot me and it would seem so have you."

Jason reeled backward. "I would never do such a thing! And neither would Dad! We visit your grave, Mom! All the time!"

Lois shook her head. "Visiting a grave doesn't necessarily mean you remember someone, son." She put a finger to his lips before he could retort. "Honey, would you honestly have let yourself turn to this kind of lifestyle if I were still alive? Would you be skipping school regularly? Would you have pierced your ear? Would you have let that unruly brown curly hair grow out this long? You hated when your hair would touch your ears. You never would have pierced your skin because you thought it was gross. And how can I forget the tantrums you would throw when I'd keep you home from school? You loved learning more than any other kid I've ever met. Jason, I know you. What's really going on?"

Jason fidgeted uncomfortably under her intense scrutiny. He wanted to curse. She was his mother alright. Forget x-ray vision; she could see through anything without it. Jason ran a hand through his long hair and swallowed what felt like a frog in his throat. He knew his mom well enough to know that when she started asking questions, she wouldn't stop until she got the cold, hard facts – it was one of the best and worst attributes of being a star reporter.

Sighing, he muttered, "You won't leave me alone until I come clean, will you?"

Lois looked smug. "You know I won't. What's going on, sweetheart?"

Jason wet his lips. "This is so hard," he whispered.

Lois took his hand. Jason looked up at her. "Start at the beginning," she encouraged.

Jason's face became distant. "It all started when you died," he began. "You were murdered right before my eyes. Luthor shot you in the chest with a Kryptonite bullet. When I tried to get near you, I immediately felt my strength leave. Dad came bursting through the Gertrude's roof after that. The anger in his face chilled my blood as he looked at your corpse and then at Luthor who was laughing. As Luthor pointed the gun at me and pulled the trigger, something in Dad snapped and he burned a hole right in Luthor's chest. Luthor's aim was off but he hit me clean through the arm. Dad tried to get to you but the Kryptonite radiation was too much. It was everywhere. I was already in trouble. Dad wasn't willing to lose me too so he grabbed me and rocketed into the sky so we could heal in the sun.

"He called the League and asked them to take you to the Fortress of Solitude but they never found your body. When the search was called off, Dad wept into my shoulder, holding me like his life depended on it, which, looking back, I now know it did. He broke after that. He took no prisoners when justice needed to be satisfied. He killed because he figured that by so doing, criminals could never resort to destroying people's lives the way his had been destroyed by Luthor. This new outlook brought the other heroes out of their caves, so to speak, and the Justice League was formed. At large, the world fears them though a select few have tried to rebel. Those rebellions get shot down before they can get the ball rolling because Dad always kills the leaders.

"Ever since Dad started walking this "take no prisoners" path, everyone treats me different. Since Luthor exposed Clark Kent, everyone learned I was really Superman's son. Ever since I was five, I've gone to school with people treating me as if I was king of the world. Nobody dares to challenge me but nobody dares to be my friend either. Lately, things haven't been so great at school. I'm tired of everyone staring at me. I'm tired of being treated differently. I'm tired of not being able to be normal like everybody else. I stopped going so I could avoid everyone. Well, everyone except for Gray. He and I grew up together. He understands me better than any other human. Sure, he can't understand everything – like the whole half alien thing and never feeling like I really belong anywhere – but that's where Dad makes up the difference. With the two of them, I can be me.

"I guess I developed this outlook and the uncaring attitude because I'm sick with the way life is. I'm trying to get Dad's attention but he's been so focused that it's been impossible to reach out to him. I don't want people to look at me in fear. I don't want to stand out. I don't want to be an outcast, never able to be like everyone else. I'm sick of the loneliness, the heartache, the cruelty, and the silent expectations. I remember how things were before you died. Everyone loved Superman and Clark Kent's identity was a secret. Only a select handful of people knew the truth about our family. I was simply Jason Kent, living a normal five year old life. But Luthor destroyed it all when he revealed who Dad really was on global TV just before we entered that boat to chase after the story on the blackout. We were headed for the Pulitzers; you won the award for the article of Why the World Needs Superman.

"That day is still the blackest day of my life and frankly, more than anything I want to turn back time and stop Luthor from ripping you away from us. Your death caused a chain reaction of the worst living nightmare and I'm sick of being in a world where everyone fears the person they used to trust the most. If I didn't love Dad so much, I'd call it quits and disappear forever too."

Lois felt like her heart was going to break. She pulled Jason to her and he rested his head against her shoulder. She kissed his head, rubbed her hands up and down his back, squeezed him tight. "I'm sorry," she whispered before kissing his hair again. "I'm so sorry."

"What's going to happen now, Mom?" Jason asked miserably. "You're not from this universe. I bet things aren't this messed up where you're from. Are you going to leave us and go back there?"

With all her heart Lois didn't want to abandon him but she knew that if she stayed, she would be abandoning _her_ Jason. She grasped him firmly by the shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "Jason Lane Kent, the first thing you need to remember is that you are stronger than you think you are. Every obstacle we face here in this life is meant to make us stronger and we are never given anything that we can't handle. I don't know why I died in this universe but I do know that through you I can live on. You're half me, after all. It must drive your dad crazy sometimes."

Jason chuckled as he wiped his eyes. "Yeah, he sometimes says I inherited your stubbornness."

"Whatever!" Lois chided, also beginning to laugh. "Your father is as stubborn as a mule."

Jason laughed at that but suddenly became quiet. "You're really going to leave, aren't you?"

Lois's heart broke. "I have to."

"Why?" Jason demanded, wounded.

"My Jason still needs me," Lois answered, placing a hand over his. "And so does my Clark. We didn't grow up the way you did, Jason. My Clark left me for five years. He didn't even know I was pregnant! I had to raise you on my own until he came back. Even though it's been ten years, he still feels guilty for missing out on the first few years of your life. We both know how destructive guilt can be for your father. If I'm not there to pull him out of that guilt, my universe could probably crumble similar to yours. I need to get back to my boys."

Jason wasn't happy about that but he nodded anyway. "Even though I want to be selfish and ask you to forget them, I know you wouldn't be happy here. Besides, the other me deserves to have you as part of his life. I wouldn't take you away from him."

Lois smiled, leaned forward, and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Jason."

Jason's eyes filled with tears. "I love you too, Mom."

"You know, to change the world in which you live, you need to show people the real you," Lois counseled. "Let them see Jason Kent through and through. It will take time, but time allows healing. When your father returns to how he used to be, everything will work out."

"How do you know Dad's going to change?" Jason asked, doubtful.

Lois felt a fire kindle inside of her; it was the same one that burned whenever a challenge presented itself. "Because I'm here now," she answered confidently. "I promise that I'll do everything I can with the time I have left to transform your father back to who he used to be."

"I don't know if that's possible," mumbled Jason, hopeless.

Lois kissed his cheek. "Anything is possible," she whispered.

o0o0o

Robin stood poised on the neighboring building to LexCorp. Mere hours ago he had witnessed the death of Hal Jordan through the same vent the ring used to leave the scene; it had nearly slammed into him in its departure. The original plan had been for Robin to stay hidden and leap out as back up but both he and Green Lantern hadn't anticipated Luthor turning the whole room into an inferno. If Hal hadn't shielded the vent in that split second, Robin would have been burnt to a crisp. The guilt raged inside as once again he lamented that Hal had saved him. He'd been a hero up to the very end. He hadn't needed to shield Jason since he was immune to fire so he chose to save Robin instead of himself.

Robin clenched his fists. Luthor was going to pay if it was the last thing he ever did. Robin couldn't even imagine what he was doing to Jason. If Batman hadn't taught him to analyze the situation he would have rushed in without thinking. He'd been hoping that the Dark Knight and the rest of the League would reappear but they were obviously still searching for Superman in an entirely different universe. He could call in other minor League members but he had difficulty trusting them; he'd never worked with them before and this situation was not one he wanted to risk going south.

After camping out on the roof for several hours, he was able to hack into Luthor's security system undetected. The energy levels in one particular underground floor confirmed where Luthor was harboring Jason. The next phase of his rescue plan was finding a way to get in and out safely – a much more challenging calculation than simply hacking into a computer.

For the thousandth time, Robin was in the middle of strategizing a way to get through Luthor's security when a woman in battle armor landed on the roof ten feet away from him. Robin's eyes widened. Her long blond hair gently swayed with the breeze, her red cape rippling behind her. Smooth silver armor molded over her arms and legs like tights under a metal breastplate and charcoal colored skirt. Bright red boots protected her calves. A large metal hammer was clutched in one of her fingerless gloved hands.

"Wow," Robin muttered.

His admiration had been louder than he'd intended. The blond fixed her penetrating blue eyes on him and looked him up and down. "Who are you?" she asked, taking in his costume.

Robin stood up. "I'm Robin," he said, holding out a hand.

Taking it, the girl introduced herself. "Thora, princess of Asgard."

"Princess? You're not one of Wonder Woman's pupils are you?"

Thora smiled. "No. Are you a friend of hers?"

"In a manner of speaking. I work with Batman."

Thora's eyes lit up. "You must be Jason's friend! He told me about you."

"You know Jason? Wait a second….you're that new chick from school!"

Thora blinked a couple times. "You go to Jason's school?"

Robin inwardly cursed; in his surprise, he forgot he was still wearing a mask. "Um…."

Thora's countenance brightened. "You must be his friend, Dick Grayson!" Looking Robin up and down, she nodded to herself. "Yes, it is you! I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the best friend of Superman's son is also a superhero."

"Wait, you know he's Superman's son?"

Thora nodded. "It's a long story which I don't have leisure to explain at the moment. Jason is in trouble."

"I know," Robin muttered, slightly annoyed. How come Jason didn't tell him about her? It was obvious the two had some kind of connection. Weren't best friends supposed to share secrets?

"Are you here to rescue him?" asked Thora.

"Yeah," Robin replied, silently deciding that now wasn't the time to brood. He'd wait until Jason was safe before demanding an explanation. "I hacked into Luthor's security to figure out where he is."

"Did you find him?" Thora inquired anxiously.

"Of course I did," Robin said smugly. "I'm not Batman's sidekick for nothing. I can hack into anything."

"Well where is he?"

Robin held out his screen. "Here," he answered, pointing. "He's underground. According to this, level 33. I've been analyzing different ways to get in there without getting-"

But Thora took off before he could even finish his sentence. Robin's shock was the only thing that prevented him from shouting after her. Smashing through the window, she disappeared into the building, punching a hole through floor after floor as she made her way down to the underground levels.

Robin cursed, took out a batarang, and secured a line to the building. "She's going to ruin everything!" he muttered angrily as he zipped through the air. "So much for stealth. Jason sure knows how to pick 'em."

o0o0o

Jason was in immense pain. He had thought the Krytonite handcuffs were bad but that was before he was hooked up to an IV dripping liquid Kyrptonite into his veins. It was absolute bitter torture. Ten minutes ago he'd been moved to this new room that looked like a mad scientist's lair. Jars filled with creepy creatures sat on mounted shelves, beakers of unknown liquids smoked in the corner, and greenish gray grime lined the indents in the cement walls. Jason was sure this place would never pass if placed under a health inspection.

It was taking everything he had not to fall unconscious; he wasn't sure if he'd ever wake if he did. As it was, he could barely move a muscle. What on earth was Luthor planning on doing to him? Five agonizing minutes later, Jason's puzzlement was answered when the devil himself entered accompanied by two doctors.

Looming over him, Luthor smiled. "This is the first time I've tested the meteor rock as a liquid. How do you feel?"

Jason wanted to send him a stream of choice words but all that came out was a moan. Mortified, he looked up at Luthor in defiance. Apparently the Kryptonite had effected him more than he'd thought; he couldn't even exercise his vocal cords.

Luthor laughed. "I guess this means the Krytonite has done its job. Perkins, Harven, I trust that this procedure will work?"

"We've tested it several times, Mr. Luthor," Perkins said, grabbing a set of tools. With destain, Jason observed that they were all a sickly green color. "It won't be a problem."

"It better not be," Luthor warned. "Young Jason is paramount to my plans. Now, get to work."

"Yes, sir," they both replied, coming to hover over Jason.

Jason's eyes widened in fear as Harven grabbed his shoulders and twisted him onto his stomach, exposing his back. Filled with frustration, Jason wanted to scream. He couldn't even move an inch to defend himself. What were they going to do to him?! A severe pain shocked him as a scalpel cut smoothly into the back of his neck.

And then the door suddenly burst open.

"What in the name of Odin do you think you're doing?!" a voice shrilled.

Jason's heart leapt into his throat. _Thora! What was she doing here?!_ She was supposed to be in _her _universe, trying to find his dad! Wait, if she was here, was his father…? He needed to warn him! If his dad got any closer, he would fall prey to Luthor!

"Who the heck are you?" Luthor demanded.

Thora didn't respond. Instead she sent Mjol flying into Perkins' back since he was the one who'd cut into Jason first. The poor man didn't stand a chance against the hammer. He flew into the wall, causing several jars to rain down upon him. Their contents burst open and oozed all over him and the floor. Thora took action the same time as her hammer, rushing straight for Harven, the other unfortunate victim of her fury.

In two seconds Luthor's doctors were out like a light. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a revolver. Thora spun on her heel, hammer in hand, but stopped when she noticed the gun pointed straight at Jason.

"One more step and he'll be dead before you can get to him," Luthor warned.

Thora's teeth ground together as she eyed the situation. Silently cursing that she'd simply barreled her way into LexCorp, she came out of her warrior stance. "What are you planning to do to Jason?" she demanded.

"He's an important piece in a little score I have to settle," Luthor answered, eyeing her. "I've made it a point to be acquainted with vigilantes but I'm afraid I've never seen you before. Who are you? One of Wonder Woman's students?"

Thora stood tall. "I am Thora, daughter of Thor, princess of Asgard, and granddaughter of Odin All-Father."

Luthor raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of you."

"Mere mortals have difficulty understanding superior beings," Thora snapped.

Luthor scowled. "Great, another alien. What planet do you come from?"

"I told you," Thora retorted with equal venom in her voice, "I am of Asgard. Now, release Jason or I will force you to do so."

Luthor stood his ground. "As far as I'm concerned, you are in no position to make demands. If you haven't noticed, Jason is experiencing a heavy dose of Kryptonite, so much so that he's as vulnerable as a human. If I fire, this bullet will immediately sink into his brain. Now, drop the hammer or else watch your friend die."

Torn, Thora looked at Jason and then back at Luthor. She didn't know what to do. The Asgardian warrior within demanded that she stand and fight but the logical scientific spirit inherited from her mother warned that defiance would not be in either her or Jason's favor. As Jason's life was on the line, Thora decided to release her pride. Mjol slammed into the floor with a loud clunk.

Luthor smiled. "Wise girl." A sudden storm of guards rushed into the room, seizing Thora instantly. She struggled until Luthor cocked the gun as a warning.

"Get your hands off me!" someone snarled from the doorway.

More guards came into the room, holding Robin in their clutches. Thora's heart sank. So much for back up. Luthor chuckled wickedly. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Robin. Come to save your dear friend? I see that plan backfired."

"Shut up," Robin spat, struggling.

Luthor continued to gloat. "I heard you were similar to Batman but I must say I'm disappointed. I believe he would have at least attacked me before getting caught. Tell me, did you even get to fire a shot before my guards apprehended you?"

"For your information, Luthor, I was able to take down fifty of them before they cheated," Robin snarled.

Luthor looked smug as he set his revolver on the table next to Jason. "I don't believe there's any such thing as cheating when dealing with masked crusaders."

"What do you want us to do with them, boss?" the guard holding Thora asked.

"Strap them down," Luthor commanded. "Their arrival was unexpected but I must say that three is better than one. Check on Perkins and Harven. We're going to need them in order to get things moving and we don't have much time."

"What are you going to do to us?" Thora demanded as her captors dragged her and Robin towards two gurneys in the corner.

"You'll see in good time," Luthor replied with a wicked grin. "I promise it will be an experience you'll never forget."


	18. Woes

18: Woes

Loki was falling asleep. For the hundredth time in the last two hours, he slapped his face. For the thousandth time in the last two hours, he cursed his ridiculous affection towards his niece. If it had been Thor, he would have closed the portal the second the oaf was gone. But it had to be his niece who asked him to keep the gate open, even going so far as to challenge his magical capabilities to Odin's! The nerve of the girl! No, even if Loki once again tore at the idea of leaving, his pride wouldn't allow it. Despite his sour attitude, he was inwardly proud of his niece for being so devious. That was something she'd inherited from her father. Although Thor could be disgustingly noble, there was a small mischievous side to him that Loki liked; of course, he would never admit that to anyone especially Thor.

Loki's chin rested on his chest as he decided to rest his eyes for just a few minutes.

"If you do that, the portal will close and the connection may be lost."

Loki bolted upright and scowled while rubbing his eyes. "What are you doing here?" he asked, practically spitting venom.

Odin leaned against his staff while putting a hand on his hip. "Do you not think I have been watching? I was half tempted to fry you to death for allowing Thora to once again disappear into that portal. Be grateful that I didn't."

Loki smiled maliciously before chuckling. "Oh, I see, precious Odin doesn't want his granddaughter to hate him for obliterating her uncle. It must really burn you that she cares for me."

Odin rolled his eyes. "Loki, I will never know where this hatred of yours sprouted. I care for you-"

"Right," Loki spat, interrupting. "If you had truly cared, you would have prevented me from getting sucked into a black hole!"

"You let go of the staff yourself!" Odin shot back. "If it was anyone's fault it was your own. You desired abandonment and now you reap the loneliness it entails."

"Shut up!"

Loki rose to his feet. The two stared angrily at one another, challenging each other's will. After a moment, Loki's exhaustion got the better of him. He wanted to fight, to freeze Odin in the eye, something, but he could barely keep his eyes open. The constant spell was eating away any strength he had left. Pretending to relax, Loki sat back down on his crate.

"If you haven't noticed, I have a portal to keep open so I'm in no position to fight with you – although I desperately want to freeze your face off, I'll refrain for Thora's sake."

Odin frowned. "Why did you let her go back?"

"I thought you said you'd been watching," Loki mocked. Getting no response from the All–Father, he sighed. "She flew in too fast for me to stop her. I didn't even realize what she was until she entered the portal, she was coming so fast. I haven't even seen Thor fly that quickly."

"That is because Thora is lighter and can therefore travel more swiftly with the wind current," Odin revealed. "It still doesn't explain why you couldn't simply pull her back out after she'd entered."

"She was already gone, you oaf! She entered the other universe which is out of my magic's jurisdiction. As to why she went, I have no idea. But I will keep this portal open until she gets back."

"Loki, if you continue to let your energy drain into the portal you will die."

Showing his fatigue unwillingly, Loki closed his eyes and growled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Odin grabbed Loki's shoulder. "You need rest."

"Get your hands off me!" Loki shouted, clawing at the old Asgardian's fist.

After a few seconds of struggle, Odin slammed his staff into the ground. A burst of raw energy rushed out of the bottom creating a visible shockwave. Loki was blown off his feet, slamming into the brick wall. He crumbled in a heap on the ground and didn't get back up. After transferring his magic to concentrate on keeping the portal open, Odin pulled off his cape and draped it over Loki's shoulders.

"Stubborn young fool," Odin muttered, frowning.

As he looked over Loki, he wondered how his adopted son had come to the current path he walked. He and Frigga had raised Loki with the same affection they felt for Thor. Odin chose Thor to be the next king of Asgard not because of favoritism but because Thor held the potential to be a better king. He had been thinking of his people, not his sons, when it came to choose who should take over his throne. Loki chose to become bitter and jumped to the wrong conclusion without an explanation. He allowed his hatred to overrule any compassion, making it impossible for Odin to even try to explain himself. The tragedy of it all was that Odin still loved Loki yet would never be able to have him as part of the family again because Loki was unwilling to understand all the facts. Odin took the liberty to brush a loose strand of hair from Loki's face.

"Stubborn young fool," he repeated affectionately.

A gust of wind alerted him and he turned to see Thor and the Justice League descending from the air.

"Father, what are you doing here?" Thor asked in obvious surprise. Surveying Loki, he became concerned. "What happened?"

"We tried to converse," Odin responded, standing up. "What are _you _doing here, Thor?"

Before Thor could reply, the rest of the Avengers fell out of the sky, their landing stirring up the dust in the alley.

"You didn't think we'd let you run off on your own," Captain America said, straightening up. "Jane filled us in. We're coming with you."

"My friends, you must still be recovering," Thor said, looking them over. "You are in no condition to fight."

"Actually, Banner's been working on a great formula that heals you after a couple hours. Worked for us," Iron Man said.

The Avengers finally noticed the rest of the League.

"Wow, who are all of you?" Hawkeye asked, taking in their costumes.

"We're the Justice League," Wonder Woman responded. "We came for Superman."

The Avengers looked at the Kryptonian a little apprehensive. Superman didn't blame them. The last time they'd met, he'd beat the crap out of them. "I'm sorry for what I did," he apologized for the thousandth time.

"Technically it wasn't your fault," Hawkeye said.

"Not entirely anyway," Iron Man muttered. "So, are we going after Thora of what?"

"I cannot stop any of _you_ from entering the vortex but Thor must remain here," Odin said stubbornly, rejoining the conversation.

"What? But Father-"

"No! Thor, you will obey me!"

Superman stepped forward. "There is little time that can be spared right now, sir. My son may be in danger and Thora may be rushing into a big mistake as we speak. Would you stop a father from trying to save his son or daughter?"

Odin eyed Superman without emotion. The All-Father was obviously doing a silent scan, weighing the man's words. After a moment, he looked at Thor in pain. "I already lost my granddaughter once. Are you going to make me lose both her and my son?"

Thor came forward. "Father, I promise that I will return. I will not abandon you, our people, or my wife. But I need to rescue my daughter. She is my responsibility. If I cannot save her, how can you expect me to save a kingdom?"

Odin sighed. "Very well, go. I will keep the portal open until you return."

"What about Loki?"

"He would have died if I hadn't intervened but now, he rests. I'll watch over him too."

Thor nodded, grasping his father's arms. "Thank you," he said, staring into his father's eyes.

Odin stared back. "You go with my blessing. Return with her safely, my son."

Those who couldn't fly were picked up by those who could. Due to his size, Hulk allowed Bruce Banner to come out to be carried through the portal. He promised that if the others needed him, he'd resurface. The Justice League was rather shocked when they saw a simple, rather skinny man result from the Hulk's transformation. Iron Man shook his hand like it was no big deal to see his friend turn from giant green monster into regular everyday scientist.

"Good to see you, Banner," Iron Man said as he hoisted him up.

"You too," Banner replied. "It's been a while."

"We can catch up on the way," Captain America said. "Lead the way, Superman."

Grabbing Aquaman by the arms, Superman rushed into the portal, the others trailing along behind him. He felt as if he was being thrust through a strange technicolor spiral. The trip through the vortex was brief but still left everyone feeling dazed as they touched down on the docks of Metropolis. Dr. Fate left the crate he was sitting on to greet them.

"It's good to see you have returned in good health," he said, eyeing everyone with his glowing yellow eyes.

"Dr. Fate, thank you for keeping the portal open," Superman replied, shaking his hand. "Unfortunately, we're going to need it open a little longer."

"I know," Dr. Fate said, nodding. "The girl barreled through so fast I couldn't stop her to ask who she was or where she was going. She seemed to be in a hurry."

"And so are we," Thor answered, stepping forward. "The girl you saw was my daughter. Do you know which direction she headed?"

Dr. Fate turned, pointing straight at Metropolis.

"She headed for LexCorp, I'm sure of it," Superman said, training his eyes to travel through the city.

"Do you see her?" Batman asked.

Superman shook his head. "No. She might already be inside. Luthor's lined the whole building with lead so I can't see past the outer shell."

"What's the fastest way to get to the building?" Captain America inquired.

"Flying, to be honest," Superman responded.

"Not all of us have that ability," Dr. Banner muttered.

"Those who can't fly can ride with me," Batman called. Nobody had noticed the Dark Knight slip away to where a large plane stood waiting. Black as midnight, the paint gleamed sinisterly in the dim street lamps lining the warehouses.

Iron Man let out a whistle. "Nice ride."

"Where did that come from?" Flash demanded.

Batman smirked. "Don't ask."

"Right everyone, let's move," Captain America ordered.

Superman ignored the slight annoyance over not giving the orders for once. It was strange when you were paired up with someone who's presence was as commanding as yours. Dr. Banner, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Green Arrow, and Aquaman boarded the plane. Superman looked at Flash who folded his arms.

"I'll meet you guys there," he said smugly to Superman's questioning eyebrow. Before anyone could comment, the Speedster was gone in a blur of red and yellow. The man was impossibly stubborn sometimes but it couldn't be denied: Flash was the fastest out of all of them when it came to a run. He'd probably beat everyone there.

Superman made the decision to fly as fast as he could when within city limits; his son was in danger after all. The others would catch up eventually. Thor seemed to have the same idea. The Thunderer sped along next to the Man of Steel in an exhilarating pace. Neither man spoke; their thoughts were too preoccupied on their children. Thor had to allow himself to trail just a little behind Superman when they reached the heart of the city since he didn't know where exactly they were headed.

Five minutes later, Superman and Thor touched down on the roof of the neighboring building to Lex Luthor's skyscraper. A second later, they were joined by Flash who was munching down on a hotdog. Swallowing a large mouthful, he shrugged. "I can't pass up a hotdog when I come to Metropolis. They make them different here than in Central City. Besides, you guys were taking too long and I was hungry."

Superman rolled his eyes but he was smiling, amused. "In the midst of getting food did you notice anything?"

Flash nodded. "Of course. I rushed inside the building and took a sneak peek at the security monitors. There's a level underground that's got more security than Fort Knox."

"What is Fort Knox?" Thor questioned.

"It's a place where the US Government keeps a lot of gold," Superman answered quickly. "That's got to be where Jason is. Did you try to go down to the actual level for a closer look?"

"No," Flash answered. "I know how Luthor's traps are set up, Supes. If the guy has you figured out, he's bound to have traps for the rest of the League. If he took out my speed deep down underground, I wouldn't be able to make it back up before getting shot. I thought it better to wait for the rest of you. The level is 33.1, in case you were wondering."

Superman sighed. He admired that Flash had taken the logical approach to the situation but it was taking everything he had to accept it. More than ever he wanted to burst through those walls, find his son, and kick Luthor into prison before he knew what hit him.

Thor seemed to share in his agitation. "We can't sit here and wait like frightened women," he muttered, tightening the grip on his hammer. "If this man is as mad as you have informed, he is irrational and therefore prone to irrational measures. I will not idly wait while my daughter could be under the potential scrutiny of a madman."

Before anyone could call him back, he flew off towards the building, his hammer brandished before him like a lance. Superman sighed. "Flash, wait here for the others. When they arrive, come in after us."

"What?! Supes, this is _Luthor_ we're talking about, remember? He's sure to have Kryptonite!" Flash argued.

Superman was already in the air. "And I have an Asgardian. Thor will have my back. Just storm the place when the others show up, alright?"

As he caught up to Thor, he heard Flash mutter under his breath, "Just don't die down there, big guy. We need you."

Superman clenched his jaw and directed all his focus on finding Luthor and his son. Thor charged up his hammer and flung a hauntingly beautiful array of lightning towards the base of LexCorp. The strike ripped apart the wall causing the building to shake in protest. Several windows exploded, raining their fragments towards the sidewalk. Superman used his heat vision to destroy the shards flying towards pedestrians.

"Be careful where you throw that stuff," he said, chastening Thor.

The Asgardian frowned. "I apologize. I meant no harm to come to the civilians."

"I know," Superman muttered while focusing back to the entrance they'd just created. The gaping hole went down into the ground, revealing several hidden floors. Superman x-rayed the ground, but couldn't see through anything. Several unsuspecting victims were buried in the rubble caused by Thor's lightning. "We're going to have to use the elevator."

Thor looked at him with disbelief. "Why not burn your way through? I could use another thunderbolt."

"No," Superman answered firmly. "People will die if we do it that way."

"Are not all the men and women in this building scum?" Thor asked ignorantly.

Superman shook his head. "Not all of them. Luthor may have a few that are shady characters but for the most part, his workers are normal people trying to provide a living for their families."

Thor took this in and then sighed. "We'll take the elevator then."

"Thank you," said Superman.

Thor raised an eyebrow. "I may seem brazen, Superman, but I value the lives of the innocent just as much as you. I hold no grudge or ill-will towards those who have not committed a crime. I'm here for my daughter and only those who oppose me will suffer the wrath of Mjolnir."

Superman smiled at the man's determination. "Then let's go find our kids."

He led the way into the building, down to the last floor Thor's lightning had struck. A man's leg was stuck under a fallen chunk of ceiling. Thor lifted the rubble off and asked if the man was alright. He stared at Thor as if he spoke a different language. Thor looked incredulously to Superman who repeated his question to the man. The man looked at Superman and nodded.

"Good, make sure to get medical attention," Superman advised before heading towards the elevator doors.

"Why would he respond to you and not me?" Thor asked, bewildered.

"I think he was in shock. People have never seen you before and you do have a commanding presence. I think you just scared him."

Thor appeared thoughtful as they entered the elevator and Superman pushed the button that would take them to level 33.1. "The people of Earth had similar reactions when I first visited them," Thor muttered.

Superman put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let it get to you, Thor. People are often afraid of what they don't know. It took the people of this Earth a while to trust me. Even now some still have problems with that."

"Like this Lex Luthor we are about to fight?"

"Yes. He's the greatest supporter of having me wiped off the face of the Earth. Heck, he's probably even the chairman."

"Why does he hate you so much?"

"I don't know," Superman sighed, leaning against the elevator as it continued to creep its way downward. "But he hates me enough to know everything about me. He knows my weakness and he'll have it on him without a doubt. I need you to be wary, Thor. I'm going to need your help when the Kryptonite appears."

Thor stood tall. "You have my word, Superman. What do you want me to do?"

"If possible, get the green rock away from me as soon and as fast as you can. As long as it's near me, I'll be of little help to you or anyone else."

Thor understood. He placed his hand on Superman's shoulder. "I will do all I can to help you, my friend."

Superman smiled. "Thank you."

The doors dinged open and the two heroes turned to face them, their senses immediately kicking into full alert. Therefore, it surprised them when the first thing to greet their sudden entrance was Lex Luthor himself surrounded by Jason, Thora, and Robin. Superman's heart rate accelerated at seeing his son but then he paused. Something was wrong. Jason's eyes were glazed over, his expression quite blank. A quick glance showed that Thora and Robin were in the same predicament.

Lex Luthor smiled widely at the sight of Superman though his eyes displayed caution as he looked upon Thor. He hadn't anticipated an unknown hero. He'd have to alter his plans in case of interference. "It's good to see you, Superman or should I say… Clark Kent?"

Superman froze in horror. His expression was exactly the one Lex had been hoping for. Walking around Jason, Thora, and Robin – who stood as still as sentinels – Lex came closer, his sinister smile deepening. "Oh, yes, I know who you are. I've known for years. Ten, to be exact."

Superman realized he couldn't pretend that Luthor was wrong. Obviously he knew everything about him or else he wouldn't have kidnapped Jason specifically to lure him here. "How?" he demanded.

Luthor, pleased that Superman didn't deny his suspicion, put his hands behind his back and gloated. "I think the biggest give away was when Lois Lane ditched her four year engagement to Richard White for Clark Kent, a man that had been 'traveling abroad' for five years who returned the same time as Superman. I'm not an idiot, Clark. I took that little piece of news and studied out the new Kent family. I already knew that Jason was really Superman's son; he'd reacted similarly to how you do when I introduced him to Kryptonite back on the Gertrude.

"That evidence, along with other smaller tidbits of information, took me months to gather but once I had it, I could prove to myself that Clark Kent and Superman were one and the same person. Good job fooling the rest of the public by congratulating Lois on her marriage while wearing the cape. That must have been difficult to display such a ruse for so long."

Superman felt sick. "If you've known for so long, why didn't you do something then? Why wait until now?"

Luthor grinned. "This moment wouldn't be as satisfying if I had acted rashly, Superman. No, I decided to bid my time, calculate everything down to the last detail, before making my move. And oh how sweet this moment is! I'm going to crush you in the most devastating way possible. You took everything from me. I'm simply returning the favor."

"Enough of this!" Thor ordered. Electricity crackled around Mjolnir, an outward expression of his obvious agitation. "Your gloating is done. I will have my daughter or else I will pry her from your dead body!"

Luthor finally remembered that Thor was there. Staring at the man curiously, he glanced from him to the girl and back again. They were definitely related. Even the outfits were similar. "Who is this?" he asked.

"I am Thor, prince of Asgard, son of Odin," Thor introduced proudly, "and I demand to know what you have done to the princess of Asgard."

Luthor raised an eyebrow. "Is he serious?" he asked mockingly to Superman.

"This isn't a joke, Luthor," Superman raged. "What have you done to Jason and the others?"

"I've just insured myself is all, Superman," Luthor replied, a wicked gleam in his eye. "I'll reveal more on that in a moment. Before your friend interrupted, I was about to deliver my other token of your defeat."

He held up a cylinder that Superman instantly noted was of Kryptonian make though the symbols didn't add up the way they were supposed to. Even from this side of the room, he could see his paled reflection in the surface. "What is that?"

"Like it? I happened to find it when I was digging around Smallville," Luthor revealed.

Superman's expression filled with rage. "What were you doing in Smallville?"

"Well, when I learned your identity, I took it upon myself to dig around. In case you haven't noticed, that town is famous for a meteor shower that hit about thirty years ago. Using my superior intellect, I gathered that was the event in which you unfortunately graced us with your presence. I tried to find your ship, along with meteorite fragments to use against you, and instead found this. One of my workers discovered how it works. All you have to do is simply turn it so the symbols match up and you're instantly transported to a parallel universe, a mirror of this one. However, I later learned that there are a few opposites there. For one, you rule as a tyrant over the people of Earth along with the rest of the Justice League. Humans have tried to rebel but fail since you kill their leaders before they get the chance."

"I would never do that!" Superman cried in shock and disbelief.

"In this universe, it's a reality," Luthor retorted, shaking the cylinder. "And the other happy note is that in that world, Lois Lane is dead."

Superman stopped breathing. "No."

"Yes," Lex whispered with an evil smile. "I killed her."

Superman felt like the building was crashing down on him. His mouth ran dry. Only one terrorizing thought screamed through his mind and when he voiced it, his tone was unfamiliar; it was deathly and threatening. "Where is she?"

Lex's smile faltered but only for a second. He masked his temporary fear by shaking the cylinder again. "I figured that since the Superman in that universe had lost his beloved, how generous would it be if I returned to him the one thing he longed for most?"

Superman's heart skipped a beat. He stared at the cylinder with profound understanding. Lex Luthor was practically holding Lois in his hands. "You kidnapped her." It wasn't a question.

Lex laughed. "I did. I didn't force her to turn the cylinder. She did that on her own. Since her parallel self is dead, the other Lois Lane didn't arrive here, unlike my worker's experience. Unfortunate that you won't be able to see her ever again but look on the bright side, your other self is probably overjoyed to be reunited with his long lost wife. I'm sure he'll do _everything_ in his power to keep her by his side. It's what you would do after all."

The gravity of his words hit Superman like a fistful of Kryptonite. He would never see Lois again. But then a thought struck him. If he could get the cylinder from Luthor, he could enter the parallel universe and rescue her! Just as this thought entered his mind, Luthor turned to Jason.

"Jason, destroy this for me, would you?"

It took two seconds. Superman's heart constricted while his mind filled with confusion as he watched his own son step forward, apply heat vision, and destroy the only thing that could bring Lois back. Luthor dropped the cylinder just before the heat touched it. The object hit the floor and melted into a pile of silver sludge. Superman didn't realize he'd fallen to his knees until Thor stepped forward. Luthor's laughter filled the chamber, ringing in Superman's ears.

Thor reacted without a word. Brimming with anger over the burden this villain had placed upon his friend, he flung his hammer right towards Luthor's face. A shockwave rippled through the room as metal met metal. Robin, Jason, Luthor, and Superman were all blasted into the air from the impact. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling. Thor's eyes filled with surprise as he looked into the blank expression of his own daughter. "Thora?" he muttered in disbelief.

Without responding, Thora pulled Mjol back and swung with all her might. Still in shock, the hammer connected with Thor's jaw, sending him flying into the wall. Superman stood up, shaking the crushing grief in his heart aside. He surveyed the scene and then saw something that chilled his blood. Jason and Robin had leapt in front of Luthor and taken the full blast of debris that had threatened to crush the billionaire. A deep cut dripped crimson blood down Robin's right cheek just under his eye. The boy did nothing to wipe it away.

In a burst of super speed, Superman rushed at Luthor. He grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off his feet. Jason grabbed his arm but Luthor held up a hand. "Wait," he commanded. Jason immediately stilled.

Anger rushed through Superman's veins as he stared into the eyes of the man who'd consistently tried to destroy him. The irises were nothing but a pair of endless black pits, the emotions within spawns of every sinister evil mankind could commit. "What have you done to them?" Superman whispered furiously.

"Like I said, Superman, I created insurance for myself."

"By controlling my son?!" Superman raged, hoisting the man over his head.

It was at this moment that the other League members and Avengers showed up and Jason acted. Grabbing Luthor, Jason set him down safely before turning on his father and punching him right in the face. Superman soared into the wall nearest to the door. Before the others could even move to see if he was alright, Jason rushed into the dark space and noises of flesh connecting with flesh met the ears of the heroes.

Thor emerged from his wall with electricity shooting from his eyes. "Luthor!" he cried, flying forward. Thora altered his course, smacking him with Mjol a second time. Thor flipped end over end in midair. His daughter didn't wait for him to right himself. She soared after him, summoning lightning as she went.

The Justice League and the Avengers looked upon the chaos. Batman spotted Robin and his heart sank. If what they had heard was right and Luthor had somehow managed to control Jason, he was also controlling Robin. Batman devoted his attention to his adopted son and quickly noticed the empty stare in his eyes and the eerie way he moved.

"Luthor is controlling them," Batman revealed to everyone.

"Obviously," Green Arrow muttered.

"How?" Black Widow wondered, looking around. "Surely there has to be something he's using to manipulate their movements."

"That's what we have to figure out," Batman replied. "The best way to do that is to talk to Luthor himself."

"How are we going to get to him without hurting the kids?" Captain America asked. "He'll use them as a shield in order to protect himself."

"I'll take care of Robin," Batman said. "Thor and Superman are keeping the other two preoccupied. However, we need to be cautious. If Luthor sees all of us, he'll call Thora and Jason to him immediately. We're going to need several road blocks in order to delay that return."

Captain America nodded. "We'll handle Thora. Your team can deal with Jason."

Batman reached into his belt and pulled out a piece of Kryptonite. He handed it to Wonder Woman. "As a last resort," he whispered to her.

She looked pained as she took the fragment. "I'll only use it if it comes to that."

"I know."

She held his face. "Bruce, are you sure you'll be able to handle Robin?"

Batman kept his face devoid of emotion. "I taught him everything he knows. I'm the only one who can bring him down quickly."

Martian Manhunter suddenly gasped. "Batman, Robin wants you to do everything you have to do to stop him!"

Batman jolted upright. "You can hear him, J'onn?"

"Yes," J'onn replied.

"Can you also hear Thora and Jason?" asked Hawkgirl.

"Yes," J'onn said with thick emotion. He looked like he was in pain. "It's like listening to someone plead in the midst of torture."

"J'onn, reach out to Jason and see if you can communicate with him," Batman ordered.

"I'll try."

_Jason?_

_No please! Stop! Dad!_

_JASON!_

_J'onn?_ The reply came in exasperation._ Is that you?_

_Yes! We are trying to figure out how to release you. What did Luthor do? _

_He injected something into our brains through the back of the neck,_ Jason answered. _He put Thora and Robin under for the procedure but I was awake the whole time. The second that device was inside I lost control over my body. It's horrible, J'onn! I can see everything I'm doing to my dad and I can't stop myself._

_Did Luthor say how to remove the device?_ J'onn asked while trying to ignore the torture he was feeling from being connected with Jason.

_No but I thought of how to do it._

_How?_

_Luthor has a device too. It's like the transmitter to ours. If you can take that one down, we'll stop fighting. _

_But could it kill you?_

_Not if my dad aims correctly with his heat vision. He just has to jam the antenna and then we won't be able to move anymore. You'll have to remove the devices after that._

_Okay. I'll tell the others and we'll see what we can do._

_Please hurry!_

J'onn left Jason's mind and opened his eyes in time to see him punching Superman into another wall. The Man of Steel wasn't fighting back at all. He took the punches, not lifting a finger against his son.

"I know what we have to do," J'onn said, alerting everyone to the plan. He reached out telepathically to Thor and Superman so they could be clued in to what was going on.

"We have to free Superman from Jason so he can reach Luthor," Batman said.

Dr. Banner stepped forward. "I'm strong enough to keep him at bay."

"Are you sure?" Hawkgirl asked.

Dr. Banner smirked. "When Superman attacked us the first time, I was the only one who walked away without any injuries."

"But you were knocked unconscious," Hawkeye remarked.

Dr. Banner scowled. "At least my arm wasn't broken."

Hawkeye opened his mouth to retort but Black Widow cut him off.

"Enough," she ordered, punching Hawkeye in the arm. "We have work to do. Banner, keep Jason busy. Once you've pinned him down, the rest of the Justice League will help to keep him from being summoned to Luthor's side. The Avengers will do the same to Thora. Batman, can you keep the other one busy like you said?" He nodded. "Alright then, J'onn, did you transmit that to Superman and Thor?"

"Yes," J'onn responded.

"Then let's get this over with." Black Widow stood straight to notice that everyone was staring at her. Captain America sent her a fond smile. "What?" she demanded.

Surprising everyone with his open affection, Captain America pulled her close and kissed her full on the mouth. "You're adorable when you order people around, you know," he muttered.

"Hey, save the romance for when we get back to our universe," Iron Man called as he turned his jets on. "We've got a fight to stop."

And with that, everyone broke into action. The most dramatic change was Dr. Banner who transformed into the Hulk with an almighty roar that shook the entire floor. Batman didn't wait to see what the others were up to. He rushed forward straight towards Robin. The young man leapt out to meet him, using all the skills he'd been taught to fight against his tutor. The two punched, kicked, twirled, swerved, and punched again in a strange kind of dance.

Jason punched his father again and Superman spit blood. He still hadn't lifted a finger to fight back. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Not only was Jason his son, he was also the last thing Superman had of Lois. No matter what, Superman would never hurt him, even if he knew that Luthor was really the one behind the punches. Superman lifted his arm to wipe the blood from his mouth just as Jason came swinging for another round. Suddenly a massive green hand slammed into Jason sending the boy careening off course.

"Don't hurt him, Hulk!" Superman cautioned as the big green monster went barreling after Jason.

Hulk gave him the briefest of glances, signifying that he'd heard. Superman didn't wait for an invitation; he shot towards Luthor who saw him a mile away. Just as predicted, Luthor called out to Thora, Robin, and Jason but was alarmed to see that none of them were coming to his rescue. Robin was held in Batman's arms, unconscious. The Dark Knight had pulled a move that knocked the kid out before he knew what hit him. Jason was being restrained by the Justice League and the Hulk. Thora was tied down by the Avengers, failing in her struggle to break free, tears streaming down her face.

Luthor had a split second before Superman would be upon him. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a shard of Kryptonite. Superman lost control of his flight and slammed into Luthor, sending the two of them rolling over the other several paces before coming to a stop. Lex scrambled to his feet, looking triumphant. He loomed over Superman and kicked him mercilessly.

"Did you think you could win?" he gloated, kicking Superman again. The Man of Steel doubled over, crying out in pain. "You've cheated death for too long Kal-El. I should have ended your life a long time ago! I won't make that mistake again. Now, you die!"

Time seemed to slow down. Superman's eyes were trained on the Kryptonite rushing towards his heart. Flashes of his life passed before his eyes: the first time he used his powers; the first time he discovered his Kryptonian heritage; the first time he'd rescued Lois and fallen in love; the day he gave up his powers for her; the loss resulting in taking away her memories; leaving for Krypton only to find it gone; returning to Earth; recovering from New Krypton; discovering Jason was his son; finally marrying Lois; and then Jason and Lois themselves, his personal miracles. These images surged through him as the Kryptonite drew near.

And then, the sound of a gunshot filled the air. Superman blinked and stared. Lex Luthor stood rigid, his frame filled with shock. He looked down only to see blood soaking into his shirt. He looked at Superman one last time, surprise and confusion written on his face, before crumpling to the floor. His blood continued to pool around his dead body. Superman looked to the source of the noise and froze.

Standing in the doorway was a woman. Her skin clung to her bones, her unkempt hair hanging loosely around her gaunt face. Her clothes looked like those of a homeless person, complete with several patches and multiple stains. Though her arms looked like one touch would snap them in half, she held the revolver with pinpoint accuracy. She looked like death. Superman would have questioned who she was had it not been for her eyes. Lowering the weapon and ignoring everyone but the man she'd just saved, the woman stumbled into the room. She reached Lex Luthor's corpse without interference and removed the Kryptonite from his hands. Throwing it with all her might, she dropped the gun and fell to Superman's side.

"Lois?" Superman gasped, pulling her towards him. Shocked at how frail she felt in his arms, he held her like she was a piece of glass. She clung to him for dear life.

"Clark," she whispered her voice raspy. "Oh, Clark! I'm free. We're finally free."

And she passed out in his arms, tears freely flowing down her paled cheeks.


	19. Letting Go

**I know I left a ton of you confused last chapter. This one clears things up! :)**

19: Home

Lois' patience had worn thin. It hadn't escaped her attention that ever since she'd stepped into Superman's house, she hadn't left. Every time she thought about leaving on an errand, the things she desired were brought to her by robots belonging to Superman. She couldn't even go out onto the grounds. It was becoming quite clear to her that this Superman was going to do everything in his power to keep her safe, even if that meant keeping her caged up.

Had he forgotten how she reacted when she felt confined? Apparently. Lois ground her teeth as she sat in the sunlight next to the giant front window, her eyes waiting expectantly for either him or Jason to come flying through the sky. After her insistence, Jason went to school and promised to go to all his classes. He wasn't expected to be home for another three hours. Lois threw the book aside that she'd nabbed from the library.

"I'm tired of reading," she growled. Standing up, she moved out of the comforts of the sun's rays and immediately felt sick. Ignoring the churning in her stomach, Lois gave in to the craving she had for pickles. Opening the door to make her way to the kitchen, one of Superman's annoying robots appeared as if out of thin air. Before he could ask what she desired, Lois held up a hand. "Don't even ask," she snapped.

"But Miss Lois, we have been ordered to take care of you. You look unwell."

"I'll be even more so if you don't get out of my way!"

The robot held out its arms. "I'm sorry but I cannot permit you to go further."

"Permit this," Lois snapped, pulling her arm back and sucker punching the robot in the face.

To both her and the robot's shock, her fist went right through its head! Gasping, Lois yelped and moved away, staring from the robot to her hand and back again. The poor machine crumbled to the floor, loose circuits sparking every few seconds. Shivering, Lois stepped over the robot and headed for the kitchen. She made it ten steps before another robot crossed her.

"_For the love of –!_ Look, if you don't want to end up like your friend over there, get out of my way."

The robot noticed its fallen comrade and stared at Lois as if x raying her. "Indication says your normal human strength has increase sixty percent," the robot noted, "Must be due to the pregnancy. Come, Miss Lois, you must return to the sunlight in order to remain healthy."

"That's it! I've had enough! KAL-EL! GET YOUR SORRY CAPED SELF BACK HERE THIS INSTANT OR I'M GOING TO KILL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE ANNOYING ROBOTS! YOU HAVE UNTIL THE COUNT OF THREE! ONE! TWO!"

A burst of wind from the nearest window caused her hair to dance all over her face. Yanking it out of her eyes, Lois found Superman standing there looking about as annoyed as she was, not that it mattered.

"Lois, I was in the middle of preventing a robbery. Is what you need more important than that?"

Lois breathed through her nose and suddenly Superman's annoyance was replaced with hesitation. If she could breathe fire, it would be spewing from her nostrils. Sparks practically flew from her eyes. "I am not ten years old, Kal-El! Call off your robots!"

"Lois, they're only trying to protect you."

"From _what?!_" Lois demanded. "Everyone and their dog is afraid of you! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were keeping me here like a prisoner. What are you afraid of? That I'll leave and never come back?"

Superman didn't answer. His countenance had darkened. "Do not question what I do, Lois. My decisions are in your best interest."

"That's not good enough," Lois snapped back. "I need a reason, Clark. Now."

"What will you do if I don't?"

Lois closed her eyes. "Don't make me give you an ultimatum, Clark. I'm the last person you want to argue with and we both know that. Why are you keeping me here? What's going on?"

Superman leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. In another situation, Lois would have demanded for him to speak but for this particular occasion she sensed it was best to remain silent. After a long pause, Superman sighed, his hardened countenance softening.

"Lois, I'm keeping you here out of fear. I already lost you forever once and I don't think I'll be able to handle it if you were taken from me again. I already have to deal with the fact that you're not going to stay with me. The only comforting thing I have to go through with letting you go is to know that you still exist somewhere even if it's not physically here with me. I'm being overly cautious because I'm trying to keep you safe so you can return home."

Touched by his love for her, Lois let her anger melt. "Clark, I appreciate what you're trying to do. But you can't keep me locked up in here. I need to at least be allowed to walk around outside."

"I don't want you going into the city."

"I never said I was going to."

"I know you, Lois. When you want something, you do everything in your power to get it."

"You're right," Lois admitted, leaning against the wall, her sickness making her weak. "But you forget one thing, Clark."

"What's that?" he asked, stepping closer to her in concern.

Lois smiled. "I'm taking care of two people right now. And since it's been years since you've had to experience this, I need to remind you that it's healthy for an expecting mother to go on walks."

Superman looked torn. He seemed at war with himself. Lois waited, crossing her fingers behind her back. Her argument was winning; she could see it in his face. "Fine," he said finally. "You can go on walks but only on the grounds!"

Lois smiled triumphant. "Thank you. And about your watchdogs."

"They stay, Lois," Superman said firmly.

Lois pouted. "Clark, if they keep waiting on my hand and foot I'm going to gain more than simple baby fat! At least allow me to walk to the kitchen to get something on my own!"

"Is that what you were trying to do?"

"Yes! I was craving pickles."

Superman stared. "Pickles?"

"Yes! Don't question it because I can't give an explanation. I just want pickles and gosh darn it, I couldn't even make it ten steps down the hall without one of your robots bombarding me. I need space, Clark, or else I'm going to go crazy."

"Alright, I'll order them not to fawn over you," Superman responded with another sigh. "But they're not leaving you to wander by yourself. They'll always be within sight and sound. And if you need something outside of the mansion, tell them what it is."

"Will they follow me around while I'm walking on the grounds?"

"Only if I'm not there to escort you around myself," he replied tenderly.

Lois sighed. "Fine. I'm going to get pickles now." Superman walked beside her as she slowly made her way down into the kitchen. "Don't you have a robbery to deal with?"

"The others took care of it."

"Oh."

She could feel his concern growing as she gripped the walls to steady herself. Silently she cursed the oddity of her pregnancy. Why did she have to depend on sunlight so much? This baby had better be worth it. Lois smiled as she suddenly remembered saying the same thing a long time ago, when Jason was occupying the space inside her. Fondly she rubbed a hand across her stomach. Superman misinterpreted the gesture.

"Lois, are you alright?" he asked, grabbing her arm in worry.

"I'm fine," she said pleasantly. "I just can't wait to meet him or her."

"I'm sure they will be beautiful," Superman muttered sadly.

For the first time Lois realized that this Clark was never going to see this baby. It dawned on her that when the time came, he'd have to say goodbye not only to her but to the unborn child as well. She found herself holding his hand, squeezing it gently. He returned the gesture. They made it to the kitchen and Lois raided the fridge until she found the pickles. Grabbing the biggest on in the bunch, she munched on it happily while Superman twisted really fast and shed the suit. Clark leaned against the counter, watching her with tender eyes.

"Have you found anything yet?" Lois asked, taking another bite out of her pickle.

Clark shook his head. "Not yet. Since you've told me about the cylinder that brought you here, I went to the Fortress to talk to my father. He explained to me that its creation was a form of torture used on Krypton's deadliest villains. It was the last offense before being sent to the Phantom Zone."

"What would they do with the parallel person?"

"According to my father, they'd treat them well, explaining the process and the assurance that after a week of living in their world, they would be sent home."

"That would call for some serious therapy," Lois muttered. "I'm going to need some when I go home."

"My father suggested that I look around Smallville for the object. I'm not sure if I'll find it there though."

"Why not?"

"Ten years ago we dug up every bit of Kryptonite in the ground and hauled it into space. We would have found it if it was buried with the meteor rock."

Lois frowned. "Maybe it wasn't buried with the meteors."

"Where else would it be?"

"Well, did it come with you in your ship? And if so, wouldn't that be where it is?"

Clark's eyebrows rose. "That would make sense. My father didn't tell me that he placed it with me. Then again, it could have fallen off when my ship crashed. There wasn't any meteor rock where my ship landed."

"I think you found where you have to look."

Clark kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back within the hour."

"Okay," Lois muttered. "I'll be bathing in the sun out in the yard."

"Be sure to wear a swimsuit."

"Clark!"

o0o0o

Superman wasn't a huge fan of hospitals. He appreciated their purpose but he didn't like being inside for others nor especially himself. Today he was willing to sacrifice his time since it was Lois who was laying in the hospital bed connected to several IVs. Her complexion was pale, her skin stretched thin across bone. Superman sat next to her bedside, holding her hand, thinking about what had transpired over the last hour.

After Luthor died, Jason, Thora, and Robin lost consciousness. After reassuring everyone that their hearts were beating, Superman looked to the spot in the back of their necks and found the devices Luthor used to control them. Temporarily placing the unconscious Lois into Batman's arms, Superman used his heat vision to cut into their flesh while Martian Manhunter manipulated his fingers in such a way that he could reach in and pull out the device without damaging anything else.

The Avengers decided it best to take Thora and travel home as soon as possible. The Justice League would have loved for them to stay but knew that both Dr. Fate and Odin had been keeping the vortex open long enough. Batman offered them his jet saying to simply leave it wherever they docked it. Expressing heartfelt thanks and a desire to maybe one day meet again, the Avengers took their leave. Superman knew that Jason wouldn't be too happy when he woke to find Thora gone. He looked up to see Thor kiss his daughter's forehead before tenderly lifting her into his arms and following the others to the exit.

After some discussion, Superman decided to take Lois to the hospital, entrusting Jason to the League. They promised to get him home safely and wait for further instruction. Aquaman had disappeared briefly only to return with an unconscious Zatanna in his arms. He defied the others when they suggested taking her to the hospital. He argued that it would be better for her to recover at Watchtower. Batman supplied a temporary teleportation device and Aquaman disappeared with Zatanna still in his arms.

Superman arrived at the hospital with Lois ten minutes later. The doctors had put up a stink about who she was but he shot them down with pleadings that it wasn't important for them to know at the present time. They knew better than to argue with him and committed Lois to the ICU allowing Superman to come with them only because Lois's grip was firm in his; he would have broken her fingers if he'd tried to let go.

Now he was sitting in a hospital room as Superman, holding the hand of the woman he loved. He'd much rather be there are Clark Kent but if Superman disappeared now and Clark appeared, everyone would put two and two together. No, he was unfortunately confined. He prayed the press would stay out of this for as long as possible. Secretly thankful that they weren't allowed inside the hospital, Superman turned his attention to Lois. Her breathing was deep but she fidgeted a lot, like she was restless. For the thousandth time Clark wondered over what had happened to her. Why was she like this? There was a knock on the door.

"Excuse me, sir, you have a phone call," a nurse muttered timidly, her cheeks pink.

Superman's brow furrowed. Who would be calling Superman? He looked at Lois. Her hand was still clasped to his. "I'm afraid if I move, I'll break her hand," he admitted.

"I'll bring in a cordless," the nurse supplied.

"Thank you."

A moment later, she returned and held out the phone. After she left, Superman lifted it to his ear. "Hello?"

"It's me," Batman's deep voice drawled through the receiver. "How's she doing?"

"She's still asleep but stable. The doctors say that from the looks of her, she's been abused physically for years mostly due to malnutrition. Her immune system is really frail too but she doesn't have any viruses, thank heaven. If she had they predicted she'd be dead before the end of the week. Nobody is allowed in the room except office staff and myself, seeing as I'm immune to human diseases."

"How long are you planning on staying with her?"

"It depends when she wakes up. I need to find out what happened to her. It would take months for her to look the way she does and I don't believe time differentiates between the parallel universe and ours."

"About that, how would she get back if the cylinder was destroyed?"

"I don't know," Superman muttered.

Batman heard the worry under the calm tone. "Superman, they're both going to be fine."

Superman knew he was talking about Jason. "I hope so."

Seeing that his friend was temporarily satisfied, Batman cleared his throat. "Listen, checking up on you isn't the only reason I called."

"What is it?" Superman asked, suddenly alert.

"There's a message for you," Batman muttered quietly, so quietly that any normal person wouldn't be able to hear. "It's from work."

"What?"

"Perry wants you to call him as soon as you can. He sounded worried."

Superman's brow creased. "I'll call him. Thanks Batman."

"Talk to you soon, I expect."

"Yeah."

The phone clicked. Superman knew he had to make this phone call cautiously. Again he cursed leaving his cell phone at home. Dialing the number of Perry's personal cell, Superman waited. He answered on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hello, sir. This is Superman." He silently prayed Perry would get the hint not to reveal his identity.

"Why are you calling me from the hospital?" Perry asked his voice tense.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you when I see you in person."

"When will that be?"

Superman looked down at Lois. "I'm not sure," he replied honestly.

"That doesn't do me much good," Perry said. "I need to discuss something with you without any prying ears."

"Could you whisper to me what you would like to say after you've hung up the phone?"

"You'll be able to hear it?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

The moment the line clicked, Superman strained his hearing, focusing solely on Perry's voice.

"Clark, I hope you can hear me," Perry muttered. "This is the weirdest thing I've ever done. I feel like I'm talking to myself." Clark smiled. "Look, Lex Luthor came in to see me yesterday. Told me he had the biggest story of the century and demanded that I print it in this morning's newspaper. He dropped the file on my desk and left with a satisfied smirk. I opened the file and it was all about you. He wanted me to expose your identity to the world. He threatened that if I didn't do it, he'd blow up the Daily Planet."

If Superman wasn't holding Lois's hand, he would have bolted for the window. He looked out at the Daily Planet. The building was fine. Perry was in his office holding the phone to his ear, obviously pretending to be on a call. Clark smiled over his ruse.

"Before you come gallivanting over here," Perry said, interrupting Superman's thoughts of how to leave Lois without hurting her, "I called in the League and they found the bomb. Flash made sure it was in the middle of the Atlantic when it went off. I've never had to use the Watchtower website before but that's a pretty amazing system you guys have. Also, don't worry about the files. Nobody else knows they exist. I checked every single newspaper and anchor; Luthor didn't give anyone else the information. I guess he figured I'd print the story out of anger that my employee had been the Man of Steel all along. He was dead wrong. I burned everything on the roof the second the coast was clear last night. Hope everything's going alright. They found Luthor's body twenty minutes ago. It's all over the news. I have a feeling you know what happened so I'm assigning you to write an article and get it to me before the end of the day for the evening addition. Don't you dare be late, Kent!"

Superman figured that was the end of the conversation. He watched Perry put the phone down and tuned out of the editor's office. Sighing, he stared at Lois. Oh, he knew exactly what happened. There was no way he was going to say that Lois Lane had killed Lex Luthor; that would be the worst thing he could possibly do. But if he didn't, he'd be lying and, as a reporter, that hurt his pride. Perry would get his article but not until Superman had talked to Lois first.

As if on cue, the woman's eyes opened instantly and her heartbeat skyrocketed into overdrive. She looked around wildly, crying out.

"Lois! Lois, relax!" Superman said, standing up and leaning over her. "It's me. It's only me."

Lois's eyes fixed on him. "Clark?" she muttered.

"Superman," he emphasized, looking around nervously. Thankfully the doctors were still in the hall, rushing to the room after being alerted by her change in heart pace.

Lois looked confused but then seemed to remember the importance of secrecy. Before either could speak, the doors burst open. Lois cried out and latched onto Superman in a death grip, her eyes wide with terror at the sight of the doctors and nurses filing into the room.

"She's alright," Superman said in his commanding voice. "She just woke up and didn't know where she was."

The doctors checked the monitors and then nodded after a moment. "Her vitals are fine," one said to the other. "Miss, we're going to have to ask you a few questions."

"May I ask them first?" Superman asked casually but with enough authority to hint that the doctors were going to have to wait whether they liked it or not.

"Of course," they said reluctantly. "We'll return in twenty minutes."

"Thank you," Superman replied courteously. He waited for the doctors to leave before turning his full attention back to Lois. The woman looked on edge but her heartbeat was no longer flying off the handle. "Lois, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Kal-El," she whispered, staring at him in wonder, "now that you're here with me."

"Lois, what happened to you?" Superman demanded, holding her hand with both of his.

Lois swallowed. "I don't even understand all of it."

"Tell me what you can," he invited kindly.

Lois took a ragged breath. "I'll try. It all started ten years ago, back on the Gertrude."

Superman's brow furrowed. "Ten years ago?"

"Yes," Lois muttered, unaware of his confusion. "Luthor shot me with a Kryptonite bullet but didn't kill me. You thought I was dead probably because the Kryptonite was everywhere in the room. In fury you released your heat vision on Luthor. He tumbled to the ground. Then you grabbed Jason and left us."

Superman was completely confused. None of that had happened. But something told him to keep his mouth shut and simply listen.

Lois continued. "You thought you'd killed him. You thought I was dead. But the truth was that we both lived, Kal-El. Luthor's men found us and took us to one of his private islands. Luthor was badly injured from your attack on him. We found out later that you had paralyzed him from the waist down. I didn't know this until two days ago but since your secret was revealed to the whole world, Luthor figured he'd have to lie low. When his men brought supplies the next day, they also brought the Daily Planet morning addition. The headline displayed both Luthor's and my death.

"Luthor decided that since he was proclaimed dead and so was I that he could do whatever he wanted to me. Since I didn't know the truth about your identity being revealed, he used the information against me. For ten years he has manipulated me into doing things for him, taking care of him, and helping him move around. I hoped that you would come looking for us but you never appeared. The private island we were on was so small and we were underground. The place was lined with both lead and Kryptonite. You never would have found me.

"I didn't try to escape since Luthor knew about both you and Jason. He threatened to kill you both if I dared leave. He would allow his men to abuse me if I became defiant. He allowed me to eat only once a day and even then the portion was minuscule. I learned fast to give in and do whatever Luthor wanted. I was determined to do anything if it was going to save the two of you. Then, after ten long years, it happened. I went in to Luthor's room to wake him like I usually did every morning only to find that he'd finally died! I was so overjoyed, I didn't know what to do with myself. His men showed up shortly after only to discover the same thing. They left me on the island to fend for myself.

"I found newspaper articles in Luthor's office and to my fury learned the world had known your secret for years. I couldn't believe that Luthor had locked me up in a prison for ten years and I hadn't figured out that I was being held prisoner for nothing. Infuriated, I was determined to get off that island and find you as soon as I could.

"After two weeks of living alone, I managed to attract a ship with a fire. They rescued me and brought me to Metropolis. Everything was different. I was surprised how instead of the usual hustle and bustle, most people weren't walking on the streets; the few who were seemed to be in a hurry. I asked someone if they knew where Superman was but they looked at me in terror and bolted for the nearest door, locking it behind them. I was just about to cross the street when the weirdest thing happened.

"A blinding light surrounded me and I was suddenly standing in an old office. The building I was in was completely deserted. Confused, I left only to find I was in Metropolis and this Metropolis was similar to the one I'd always known, unlike the city I'd been in moments before. I looked for you again but people just laughed and expressed their desire to get in touch with you.

"From that I realized that people didn't know who you were! Imagine my confusion. I went to our house only to find a different couple lived there and had been living there for years. I was on my way to the Daily Planet when I saw you barreling though the sky towards LexCorp. I managed to slip into the hole before the authorities showed up. Looking around, I discovered that Luthor was alive! I couldn't understand that one at all; I'd seen his corpse! How on earth could he still be living? Anger boiled up inside me and I found one of Luthor's bodyguards dead under some loose rock.

"I pried the gun from his belt and headed for the security room. Once I saw the cameras and learned that you were fighting against Jason and Luthor was in the background, I rushed to the elevator as fast as I could. I guess I made it just in time, huh? When I saw him standing over you, instinct took over and I shot him. I don't regret it either, Kal-El. He's dead. He's dead for sure and I'm finally free. So are you."

Superman's insides felt hollow. This wasn't _his_ Lois. This was the _parallel_ Lois! She was alive! Luthor had been wrong! Her story made perfect sense to him now. Anger boiled his blood as he thought what the parallel Luthor had done to her. Ten years had been stripped from her life all because of revenge. She'd never seen Jason grow into a teenager. She'd missed out on hundreds of great news articles. All because of a madman. Superman looked upon this brave woman and felt a surge of pride. She'd killed Luthor protecting him. Though he was sorry that such a fate had come upon Lex Luthor, he knew that it wasn't right to point out that Lois had technically murdered someone. Then again, to this Lois, her actions were those of Justice.

Great, how on earth was he supposed to write this in an article?!

"Kal-El? Are you angry with me?"

Superman shook himself from his own thoughts. "No," he said after a moment's pause. He couldn't be angry with the woman, not after what he'd learned about her past.

"I know how you feel about killing people," Lois muttered, picking at her sheets. "If I hadn't stopped him, you'd be dead."

"I know and I'm very grateful to you for saving me," he said honestly.

"So, can you explain why he was still alive and why nobody knows who you are?"

"Yes, I can. Gear up, it's a bizarre story."

Lois smiled. "I like those."

Superman smiled. "I know."

He explained what Luthor had done to his Lois and the existence of a parallel universe. Lois held a poignant frown when he finished.

"So I'm not supposed to be here," she muttered.

"No," Superman sighed. "This isn't your world. Unfortunately, Luthor destroyed the cylinder so I have no way of returning you to where you belong."

"But, does that mean that you'll never see your Lois again?"

Superman swallowed hard and looked out the window. "Yes," he whispered, his voice hollow.

Lois touched his hand. "If I can never be with my Kal-El, I'm glad that I at least have you."

Superman looked at her tenderly. This was the most bizarre situation he'd ever encountered and he'd seen a lot of crazy things. The hardest thing to explain was that even though this woman was Lois, she wasn't. There was something missing. From the look of sadness on her face, she felt the same way. The two of them realized that they might never be reunited with their own Lois and Kal-El but it was better to have each other than to have nothing at all. The situation was ridiculously confusing and comforting at the same time.

"Maybe you can fix the cylinder," Lois said. "You can take it to the Fortress."

Superman shook his head sadly. "In this universe, Lex Luthor stole the crystals so it's nothing more than a Kryptonian graveyard."

"Where are the crystals?"

"In space somewhere with New Krypton."

"Oh," Lois muttered, hopelessness in her voice.

Superman looked back out the window and silently prayed: if there's any way to fix this, please, please do it. This Lois doesn't belong with me and I don't belong with her. Please, bring my Lois back to me.

o0o0o

Lois was out in the yard, not in a bathing suit, enjoying the sun when Superman touched down next to her. A triumphant smile was on his face. Lois raised her eyebrow. "What's the look for, Smallville?"

He revealed the object in his hands with pride. Lois leapt to her feet and cried out in delight. "Clark! You found it!" She latched onto him tightly, hugging him.

"I found it," he muttered, his voice suddenly filled with sorrow.

Lois pulled away and stared into his face. "Clark, you need to let me go."

"I know," he muttered.

"He may let you go but we won't!" someone shouted from behind.

Before either of them knew what happened, Wonder Woman swooped in and snatched up the cylinder.

"No!" Lois cried.

"Diana, what are you doing?" Superman demanded. Wonder Woman landed twenty yards away from them and the rest of the League materialized from their hiding places. "What's going on?" asked Superman, eyeing his team in anger.

"If she leaves, you'll crack worse than you did the first time," Flash revealed.

"We can't let that happen," Batman muttered. "Things have finally started to change and we're not about to let them return to the way they were."

"Please," Lois begged. "I need to go home! I don't belong here!"

"You do now!" Hawkgirl cried, raising her mace over the cylinder.

"Wait!" Lois screamed. Hawkgirl paused. "WAIT! What if I gave you my blood? You could clone me!"

The League stared at her.

"Lois?" Superman prodded, coming to her side.

Lois faced him. "I'm sure clones have been made in this universe just as they have been made in mine. Even if it's illegal, you'll have me back in your life."

"Or we could just keep you here," Green Arrow pointed out.

"If you truly were Superman's friends, you'd let me go," Lois snapped. This whole situation was maddening and Lois's fury had been unleashed. "Do you realize that if you keep me here, my Clark will have no one? Not only that, he wouldn't have any way to clone me. All of you may not be able to understand but Superman does. Even if I was to remain with him, we'd never truly love each other."

"She's right," Superman said.

"I'm not buying it," Green Lantern retorted. "She's Lois Lane! Of course you love her!"

"She may be Lois Lane but she isn't _my _Lois Lane! I don't expect you to understand but the fact of the matter is that this Lois doesn't have the connection that my Lois has to me. We're attracted to each other but the love would never be what it's supposed to be."

Martian Manhunter stepped forward. "I want to try to understand," he said.

"Go ahead," Superman invited.

Using his powers, Martian Manhunter connected with Superman and felt rather than understood what he was talking about. Removing the connection, he turned to his comrades who were staring at him expectantly. "We have to let her go," he said.

"What?! But J'onn!"

"No, Green Arrow. If we keep this Lois Lane here, neither she or Kal-El would be happy."

Batman stood straight. Walking over to Wonder Woman, he held out his hand. "Diana, give me the cylinder."

Wonder Woman wanted to argue but she found herself handing it over without resistance. Batman turned to face Lois and Superman. He walked up to Superman and looked him in the eye. "You do realize that you'll never be happy again when she leaves."

Superman let out the breath he was holding but then squared his shoulders. "I know."

Batman searched his friend's eyes one more time before handing the cylinder to Lois. "Even if you gave us your blood, your clone wouldn't satisfy him. Go back to where your Kal-El is waiting."

Lois's eyes filled with tears. She startled Batman by hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Bruce," she whispered, kissing his cheek.

Batman smiled.

Lois turned to Superman. He looked forlorn. Deciding to give him what he wanted most, Lois brought her mouth up to his and kissed him. She allowed the kiss to be deep and passionate, knowing that this was the last time he'd ever have such affection. She pulled away. Tears were streaming down both their cheeks.

Superman caressed her face. "I love you, Lois Lane."

"I love you too, Kal-El."

"Tell your Clark to enjoy every moment of raising your second child."

"I will."

Lois kissed him one last time and then turned the cylinder. In a flash of light, she disappeared.


	20. Home

**Here it is, the grand finale! I hope you all like what I came up. Thanks so much for reviewing, reading, favoriting, and following this story. I've appreciated you time. **

20: Home

Superman had begun to doze in his chair in the hospital. It had been a long day and he still hadn't fully recharged from his fight against the Avengers back in their universe. It didn't help that Jason had punched him so much either. He longed for the sun but he couldn't leave Lois alone. She freaked out earlier when he got up to get some water. After calming her down, he promised not to leave again and then she'd fallen asleep. This time she didn't hold his hand in a death grip. Superman closed his eyes but opened them when a brilliant light flashed over his lids.

"Clark?"

Superman stared. Lois, _his _Lois, lay in the hospital bed, her expression pale but her overall appearance healthy as a horse. "Lois?!"

A smile radiated from her face, her eyes spilling over with tears of relief and joy. She leapt from the bed into his arms, kissing him full on the mouth. He kissed her back. The void he'd felt with the parallel Lois was filled as his wife clung to him with all her strength. It was in that moment that Lois froze and leapt backward. Superman looked confused.

"You're in uniform," she hissed, staring out the inner windows of her hospital room.

Superman's eyes widened with fear. In the moment he had completely forgotten he was still in the suit. Looking around, he listened in on conversations all around them. After a moment's pause, he sighed in relief. "All clear," he assured.

Lois sighed too. "Good." She slumped back onto her pillows, suddenly looking rather pale.

"Lois, what's wrong?"

She opened her eyes and stared at him. A smile suddenly climbed from her lips to her eyes. "Kal-El, I have something to tell you," she whispered so only he could hear.

"What is it?" he asked.

Lois broke into a full smile. "I'm pregnant."

Superman's jaw dropped. His expression was so hilarious that Lois broke out in a fit of giggles. Her laughter rang in his ears and it was one of the most joyous sounds he'd ever heard. Grasping her hand, he squeezed it and with thick emotion muttered, "That's wonderful, Lois! Are you sure?"

She continued to chuckle. "I'm positive. When I was pregnant before, I had the exact same symptoms I'm experiencing now."

Superman looked around. "We need to go somewhere we can talk privately."

"Agreed."

Standing up, he found a paper and pen and left a note, promising to explain to the doctors what had occurred before taking Lois up in his arms and strolling to the window. Undoing the latch, he soared out into the open air. Lois breathed a sigh of relief as the rays of the sun hit her body.

"Where would you like to go, Miss Lane?" he asked.

Lois smiled. Just like old times. "Somewhere I can constantly be in the sun. It makes me feel better."

Superman raised an eyebrow but nodded, changing his course so they were flying straight for the clouds. He tried to avoid soaring through them so as to keep Lois dry. Once Metropolis was far below them and there was nothing but blue skies and sunshine, Superman came to a stop. Lying down in midair, he pulled Lois up so she was sitting on his stomach before placing his hands behind his head.

"Is this to your liking, Miss Lane?" he asked casually.

She grinned and bent down to kiss him. "It's perfect, Kal-El," she muttered against his lips.

After righting herself in the sitting position, Superman looked at her seriously. "Now, Lois, would you care to explain to me how you got back?"

"Sure if you'll explain why I showed up in a hospital bed with you dozing in a chair."

"I was watching over the parallel you," he answered.

Lois's eyes widened. "What? That's not possible. She _died_, Clark!"

"That's what everyone in her world thinks happened but I got the story from her."

"Spill," Lois commanded.

"In order for everything to make sense I need to start with when I disappeared."

"Fine; I need to hear everything anyway."

"Promise to tell me everything that happened to you?"

"Of course," she said. "It's only fair."

Superman nodded and then set to work telling his side of the story from the time he landed in the Avengers universe up to the moment when Lois appeared in the hospital bed.

Lois stared at him for a long moment. "So, Lex Luthor is dead?"

"Yes."

"And I killed him?"

"Technically it was the other you."

Lois looked at a cloud that was drifting lazily below them. She stared at it a long while. "What are we going to tell the press?"

Superman's countenance fell. "Oh golly, I completely forgot! Perry wants an article about all of this for the evening addition!"

Lois looked at the sun. It was positioned around four o'clock in the afternoon. "That gives you about an hour," she said.

"I can type the whole thing up in three minutes if I know what to type," Superman said.

Lois scowled. "I thought we agreed to no super typing when it came to work."

"Lois…"

She smiled. "Kidding, Clark. Okay, well, you need to know my side of the story and then we'll throw everything together at the end."

"Alright," Superman sighed.

Lois wasted no time jumping into her tale. She didn't go into all the deeper details but she gave him the information needed to compare and decide how best to pursue the article.

"Did the doctors fingerprint the other me?" Lois asked.

"Yes," Superman admitted. "They were running the tests to figure out her identity when you suddenly showed up."

"Great," Lois muttered, frustrated. "If the fingerprints match mine, everyone will know I killed Luthor! Clark, I can't stay out of the sunlight without getting sick. People will know! They'll find out!"

Superman grabbed her and rose to position her so she was sitting in his lap while he sat in the air. "Lois, calm down. Nobody is going to trace her prints to yours."

"Why?"

"Because I've been listening in," he said, tapping his ear. "I listened to you too," he added hastily. "I just didn't want to hear them call out your name."

"What did they say?"

"The woman's identity is unknown," Superman answered. "They're sending the prints to another facility but the fact of the matter is they're never going to find her."

"How is that possible?" Lois wondered.

"She's from a parallel universe, Lois. Her records are not going to be found in our world. As far as we know she'll always remain a mystery."

"Can we lie to the public though?" Lois wondered. "We know who it was."

"I don't have to disclose her identity, Lois. All I have to do is give the details that due to a constant threat from Luthor concerning her family, she became desperate and killed him while saving Superman in the process. People will drop the case after the next big news rolls into town."

"I hope you're right," Lois worried. "The last thing we need is for people to learn about the cylinder."

"They won't. It's been destroyed, Lois. Besides, Batman took it upon himself to destroy all of the security cameras in LexCorp. There's no footage to trace what happened except for an excerpt he kept showing your double shooting Luthor just before he could kill me. Don't worry; the camera angle doesn't reveal Jason or Thora at all."

Lois relaxed a little. "Alright, we have the facts. Now what?"

"Now I take you home, write that article for Perry, and then cook us some dinner. What are you in the mood for?"

"Chinese," Lois replied without hesitation.

"Stir fry it is then," Superman chuckled, holding his wife close to him as he began to fly towards their apartment complex.

"Clark, I need sunlamps," Lois suddenly remembered.

"Right," Superman muttered, thinking. "I have a couple back in Smallville. I stored them in the barn for safe keeping. I'll go and get those really quick."

"But, your article-"

"It's not as important as you. Besides, Perry knows that I might not be able to get it to him as quick as he would like."

"He does?" Lois asked, bewildered.

"Oh, I guess in the heat of the drama in our lives I forgot to tell you. Perry found out the secret."

"WHAT?!"

Superman flinched.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE FOUND OUT?! CLARK!"

"Lois, please, there's no need to shout. No, I didn't tell him. He put two and two together. And for your information, it worked in our favor."

"What do you mean?" she demanded sourly.

"Since Perry already knew the truth, he didn't print the information about us that Luthor sent him. Apparently Luthor planned to kill me and Jason and then have our identities revealed through the Daily Planet to the world. It would have been the last thing he could do to hurt me; kill me and then soil my memory by spreading who I really was, causing my mother grief from every person on the planet. That would have been the icing on the cake."

Lois blinked. "I didn't know."

"I forgot to share that detail," Superman admitted. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. Just, wow, Perry knows. How long as he known?"

"A couple years," Superman answered, dodging several buildings as their apartment drew near. "He didn't say anything until it became a necessity. He's been covering for me for a while. It's worked out fine."

"Let's hope nobody else at the office figures it out," Lois grumbled.

Superman kissed her forehead. He touched down on their outdoor patio and swiftly brought Lois inside. "Nobody saw us," he confirmed.

Once the door was shut, Lois sank into a chair, her complexion immediately paling. The skyscrapers of Metropolis blocked out the sun entirely from their apartment. Already she was feeling her stomach churn. "Great," she muttered. Before Superman could come to her side, she rushed into the bathroom and threw up. He appeared a split second later to hold her hair out of her face. "Thanks," she muttered weakly. "Bet this wasn't the homecoming you were expecting?"

Superman didn't laugh. "Lois, will you be alright for ten minutes?"

"Ten minutes?"

"That's how long it will take me to get the sunlamps and return here."

Lois raised her eyebrows, impressed. "That's got to be a record. I thought it took you a couple hours to get from Kansas and back. Not to mention you'll be carrying heavy stuff."

"I don't usually fly as fast as I'm able," he confessed. "The last time I did, I turned back time."

Lois blushed, remembering the reason why he had. Kissing him tenderly on the cheek, she assured him she'd be fine until he got back. Someone cleared their throat in the doorway and Superman and Lois turned to see Green Arrow and Hawkgirl leaning against the doorframe.

"Sorry, didn't want to interrupt," said Green Arrow. "Wow, is this the same Lois you took to the hospital, Clark?"

"No," Superman answered. "This is my Lois."

Lois shivered at his words. She never thought she'd love to hear the possessiveness in his tone. It was wonderful and elated her despite the fact that her stomach was churning again. Another wave of nausea hit her and she threw up again. Superman held back her hair.

"What's wrong with her?" Hawkgirl asked.

"We're expecting," Superman answered distractedly.

"WHAT?!" Green Arrow and Hawkgirl gasped together.

Superman ignored them. "Lois, I'm going to get the sunlamps. I'll be back in ten." Lois nodded, wiping her mouth with a tissue. Superman kissed her temple and then stood up. "Oliver, Hawkgirl, I need you to watch over Lois until I get back."

"Sure, the others are watching over Jason. Looking after your wife won't be too difficult," Green Arrow said. "Where are you going?"

"Smallville. I'll be back in a bit."

He went into the hallway and found the other members of the League standing around the outside of Jason's room. They'd obviously heard what was going on but didn't question the situation; they knew that when he got back, Superman would have all the time in the world to fill them in on the details. He rushed to the window and leapt into the air, deciding it best not to fly at full strength until he'd left the city just to be safe; he didn't want to destroy any buildings from a sonic boom. The moment he was over the water, he let his speed loose and shot through the air so fast, he wasn't even a blur.

o0o0o

The flash of light in Superman's eyes caused his heart to sink. She was gone. The light disappeared only to have a woman that was practically a skeleton standing exactly where Lois had stood. She gasped and lost her strength, falling into his arms. The second her skin touched his, an electric current rocked through his whole body. He looked into her eyes; she looked back and then smiled.

"Clark," she whispered.

"Lois?!" he gasped.

Though frail, she flung her arms around him. "_My_ Clark," she whispered and then brought her lips up to his.

If he hadn't trained himself to always be aware of keeping his feet planted on the ground, Superman would have shot into the sky. He kissed her back, reveling in the feel of her small frame once more in his arms, her sweet scent filling his nostrils. There was no mistaking it. This was _his_ Lois. He didn't know how it was possible but somehow, she was alive and she was in his arms. His broken heart fused back together as he cleaved to his long lost love, thanking all the powers in heaven for returning her to him. For the first time in ten years, he was whole again.

o0o0o

Jason felt like some animal had decided to run rampant in his brain, scattering all his knowledge in different directions. His head pounded something fierce. Thinking it would be good to grab some Tylenol to dull the pain he opened his eyes and groaned. His vision swam slowly into focus, settling on the concerned faces of both his parents.

"Mom? Dad?"

"Jason! You're awake," his mother cried, grabbing his hand and squeezing it gently.

"Yeah," Jason mumbled.

"How do you feel, son?" his dad asked.

"Like I've had someone playing with my brain and not putting the pieces back where they found them," Jason answered, sitting up. Then he froze. Images of Luthor dosing him with Kryptonite and ordering his doctors to place something in his brain; Thora and Robin lying unconscious on a table; him fighting his dad; a giant green monster and the League pinning him down to the ground. Jason groaned. "What happened? How did we get out of that alive? Luthor was about to kill you, Dad!"

Clark rested a hand on his son's shoulders. "He was about to but someone shot him."

"What?"

"He died son," Lois revealed, "shortly after you fell unconscious."

Jason blinked. Luthor was dead? "Who killed him?"

"Well, the world believes it to be an unknown woman with a grudge," his dad said, "But we know who it really was. Your mother disappeared to a parallel universe and her other self came here to ours. In her universe, Lex Luthor had abused her physically and emotionally for ten years. She showed up and shot him before he could kill me and overall she protected our secret by so doing."

Jason's eyes widened. "First other universes through a vortex and now there's parallel ones? My head hurts worse than it did when I first woke up."

"It's all pretty confusing," Lois comforted, rubbing her son's hand with her fingers.

"Wait, Thora! Where is she? Is Robin okay?"

"Robin's fine, son. He woke up two days ago. Thora returned to her universe with the Avengers shortly after Martian Manhunter removed Luthor's device from inside her."

Jason's face fell. "So…she's gone?"

"Yes," Clark muttered, noting his son's distress. "She needed to return to her own world, Jason. They couldn't keep the portals open much longer."

Jason tried not to feel like someone had taken his heart and stabbed it with a thousand needles. "I'm glad Robin's okay," he said, trying to hide his disappointment.

"He wanted you to call him after you woke up," Lois said. "However, I think it best to call Richard and Lana first. We filled them in on everything else but we promised to have you call them the moment you were awake."

Jason's eyebrows rose. "They know? Like, _everything_?"

Clark nodded. "So does your Uncle Perry."

Jason flopped back onto his pillows. "Looks like a lot happens when you leave the world for a while," he muttered.

"Well, here's another bombshell," his mother said with a hint of glee in her voice. "You're going to be a brother."

Jason's eyes bulged. "Excuse me?" he gasped, staring from one parent to the other. "Is this a joke?"

"Nope," Clark answered, grinning.

"Seriously," Jason said, staring around. "Is it April Fool's Day?"

Both Lois and Clark burst out laughing. "No it's not, Jason," Lois laughed. "I'm really pregnant. I'm due in nine months."

Jason's brow furrowed. "Wait, doesn't it take nine months? How can you know you're pregnant so early in the phase?"

Lois smiled. "Kryptonian pregnancies last longer than normal human ones. I found that out while living in the parallel universe. My pregnancy will last eleven months if all goes well."

"But, I was born in nine," Jason said.

"You were also premature and very sickly," Lois pointed out. "The doctors didn't know why you turned out so tiny and frail but I do. I didn't give you the proper amount of nutrition."

"I don't get it," Jason mumbled.

"I didn't have sunlight on me during the nights of your pregnancy, Jason. You only got half the nutrients you needed," Lois explained. "I learned in the other world that if I keep myself under the sun's rays, both real and artificial, that the baby will be healthy."

"But won't you get skin cancer?"

"Actually, since your mother became pregnant, she's been developing similar abilities to ours," Clark revealed. "She almost beat me in an arm wrestle last night and the other day she used x-ray vision."

"I also get really weak around Kryptonite," Lois added.

Jason swallowed. This wasn't a joke. His parents wouldn't have carried it on this long if it was. He stared at his mother's stomach and x rayed it. Sure enough, he saw it. He blinked and then looked at his parents. "I'm going to be a brother," he said, a sudden thrill surging through his heart.

Both Lois and Clark smiled widely at their son.

"Yes you are," Lois agreed, laughing happily.

"I think we need to celebrate," Clark said, standing up. "Son, how good do you feel? Are you well enough to travel?"

"You bet!" Jason said, suddenly feeling elated. The news of becoming a big brother was the perfect way to cure him. "Where are we going?"

Clark reached into his pocket and pulled out an ad displaying giant red letters: Smallville's Annual Corn Festival! Jason grinned. Clark returned the gesture.

"It's that time of year again, huh?" Jason asked.

"Yep. Noticed the sign when I went to pick up the sunlamps for your mother," Clark answered.

"Well, if we're going to this festival, we'd best get on," Lois pointed out. "Your mother's already sent ten text messages asking if we were coming."

Clark laughed. "She's just anxious to see us. I'm sure she'll be thrilled when we tell her she's going to be a grandmother again."

Lois walked out of her son's room out to the patio. Her boys followed her. "We'll probably have to gag her so as to keep her from blurting out that she's going to have another super in the family."

Jason and Superman laughed lightly.

"Jason, on the way make sure to call Richard and Lana," Superman reminded.

"I will," Jason said before rocketing into the air. "I'll see you in Smallville."

Superman placed his arms around Lois and gently flew into the clouds. He wasn't going to travel as fast as his son due to the condition of his wife. It was best to be safe than sorry.

Jason landed in Smallville on the Kent Farm two hours later. His grandmother rushed from the house at the sight of him, enveloping him in a hug. She demanded to know how he was doing and if he was alright. Once filling her in on several things for about half an hour, he excused himself, saying that he wanted to go up into the loft out in the barn for a while.

"Alright, honey," Martha said. "I have to make cookies anyway. When they're done, come and get some, okay?"

"Alright," Jason said before leaving the house. He walked over to the barn and up the stairs. His dad's loft still held the furniture it had all those years ago in his high school days. Jason flung himself onto the couch and put his arm over his eyes. Try as he might to forget her, Thora had been ever present in the back of his mind. "I didn't even get to say goodbye," he muttered. "I don't even know if she's okay. I was going to thank her for trying to save me. I wish she was here."

Someone cleared their throat. Jason jolted upright. Leaning against the railing of the loft, her hair cascading beautifully over her shoulders, was Thora. Jason's jaw dropped. The Asgardian princess wore a simple pair of jeans and a tee shirt with lightning designs printed in silver over the blue background. The color really brought out her eyes. Her hammer hung from her black studded belt. Smiling widely that she'd caught him off guard, Thora unfolded her arms and shrugged. "Well, you did just say you wished I was here, didn't you?"

Jason leapt off the couch and rushed over to give her a hug. Laughing, he pulled away and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. "How are you here? Dad said the portals were closed."

"And they are," Thora said.

"But then, how-?"

"My grandfather pulled a few magic strings," Thora revealed, holding up her wrist. A bracelet of silver metal with gold alien letters glittered in the light. "All I have to do is say the words on this bracelet and it opens a Vortex that takes me right to where you are."

Jason's eyes widened. "But how?"

Thora shrugged. "I guess my grandpa figured out the code for the connection to both universes while he stood guard over the portal in my universe. He even said he had a chat with Dr. Fate while waiting for us to come back. When he found out that I –" Thora suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked. "What did he find out?"

A deep blush crept over Thora's face. "Well, he…he found out that…that…that I like you, Jason. A lot."

Jason's heart skipped a beat. "You do?" He hadn't realized how close they'd come. He could see his reflection in her eyes.

"Yeah, I do," Thora muttered.

Jason closed his eyes and leaned forward. Thora did the same. Their lips connected in a sweet and simple kiss but with that kiss came an undeniable desire for more. Jason snaked his arms around Thora's back, reveling at the way she shivered at his touch. She wound her fingers through his hair, pushing him further against her. Their kiss lasted for a full exhilarating ten seconds before the two broke away. Breathing heavily, their noses touching, both broke out in small laughter. Thora threw her arms around Jason's neck and he spun her around in a circle.

o0o0o

Above the barn, floating out of sight, were Jason's parents. They'd peeked in through the loft's open window only to find their son wrapped up in Thora's arms. Superman decided to fly above the barn to give them some privacy. Both parents were obviously pleased. Jason's mood was definitely lighter now than it had been when he'd tried to pretend that Thora's disappearance hadn't bothered him. Though they weren't sure how Thora had gotten there, they were rather happy for their son.

"We'll find out how she got here later," Lois muttered, leaning against her husband's chest, tracing the famous S with her finger.

Superman kissed the top of his wife's hair. "All in good time. I'm in no hurry."

"Hmmm, neither am I," Lois mused, looking up at him through her long eyelashes. "You know, I've never kissed you in the air while we've been in Smallville."

"Allow me to remedy that," Superman replied. Bringing her up to his lips, he kissed her tenderly and passionately in the rays of the Kansas sun. "I love you, Lois Lane," he whispered against her lips. "Forever and always."

"And I love you," Lois replied, kissing him gently, "now through the end of time." Kissing him again, she grinned. "Welcome home, Smallville."

**Review one last time if you feel so inclined - I'd appreciate knowing if you liked the story as a whole. Check out my other stories if you're Superman/DC fans. I'm also writing a new story based off Disney's 2015 Cinderella. Take a look if you'd like! Thanks again for reading! :)**


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